HEALTH

Dementia

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of recent research into the causes and treatment of dementia.

Jacqui Smith: The National Service Framework for Older People, launched in March this year, drew on available evidence, and existing research on the causes and treatment of dementia was comprehensively assessed. A research strategy for older people is being drawn up as a result of the National Service Framework and mental health services for older people will be a high priority in shaping it.

Private Care Homes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the state of the private care home sector.

Jacqui Smith: On 9 October, we announced an extra £300 million investment over this year and next year for local councils to spend on community care services. This major cash investment will be used to reduce bed blocking and will help to stabilise the care home sector, giving them greater confidence in the future.
	We also launched a new agreement, 'Building Capacity and Partnership in Care', on 9 October. The agreement focuses on councils and the independent sector working together as partners throughout the commissioning process. This should promote a more strategic, inclusive and consistent approach to capacity planning at local level.

Cancer Care

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the improvement of care for cancer patients.

Hazel Blears: Enormous progress is being made in improving cancer services thanks to the efforts of frontline staff. Details are given in the first annual progress report "The NHS Cancer Plan—Making Progress" which was launched on 3 December. Copies are available in the Library.

Cancer Care

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made on speeding up diagnosis and treatment of cancer for patients.

Hazel Blears: Between July to September 2001 91.3 per cent. of all urgent general practitioner referrals for suspected cancer were seen within two weeks. A programme of investment and reform is in place to support the rollout of new cancer waiting times targets to 2005.

Cancer Care

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards achieving the Government's target for the percentage of referred cancer patients seen within 14 days.

Hazel Blears: Between July to September this year 91.3 per cent. of all urgent general practitioner referrals for suspected cancer were seen within two weeks. Over the period January to September 2001 over 233,500 people urgently referred with suspected cancer were seen by a specialist within two weeks.

Children's Hospices

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase funding to children's hospices.

Jacqui Smith: Children's hospices have access to national health service funding, the level of which may increase by agreement with health authorities and primary care trusts following assessment of local options available to support children with life threatening illnesses, and their families. The New Opportunities Fund will also be available from next year and has a budget of £48 million to support projects for children with life threatening illness.

Diabetes

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the timing of the (a) publication and (b) implementation of the National Service Framework for diabetes.

Jacqui Smith: I announced on 15 October that the Diabetes National Service Framework standards would be published this year and the delivery strategy in summer 2002. This will enable the national health service to prepare to plan for the 10-year implementation programme which will start in April 2003.

General Practitioner Consultations

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations his Department makes to general practitioners regarding the amount of time that should be made available for consultation per patient; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Patients' needs vary from one to another and it is best left to the clinical judgment of each general practitioner to decide how long to spend on a consultation. Accordingly, the Department has issued no guidance on this.

NHS Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent NHS spending has been (a) over and (b) under planned levels in the (i) financial year 2000–01 and (ii) first half of this financial year.

John Hutton: The resource underspend for the Department of Health (which includes national health service spending) in 2000–01 was £712 million. The Department plans to spend all resources in the current financial year. To ensure that best use is made of resources in year, end-year flexibility arrangements allow expenditure to be carried forward into the next financial year.

Falls (Older People)

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of progress with respect to the (a) prevention of falls and (b) treatment of older people who suffer injury through falls.

Jacqui Smith: The National Service Framework for Older People recognises the importance of preventing falls and providing effective treatment and rehabilitation to those who have fallen. It sets a standard and milestones for the introduction of integrated falls services. No formal assessment has yet been undertaken of progress towards the NSF falls milestones which are set annually from April 2003.

Hospital Star Ratings

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made following the publication of hospital star ratings.

John Hutton: For national health service trusts who were awarded no stars, action plans are being drawn up and implemented. These will improve the areas of significant under-performance and bring them up to the standard the public and patients have the right to expect.

Smallpox

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the WHO on the guarding of smallpox virus stocks.

John Hutton: The Department is represented on an ad hoc Committee set up by the World Health Organisation to review scientific and technical aspects relating to smallpox. A report of this work is due to be considered by the World Health Assembly in May 2002.
	These matters are kept under continuous review.

Barnsley Health Authority

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the projected deficit of Barnsley area health authority for 2001–02.

Jacqui Smith: For 2001–02, Barnsley health authority submitted a balanced financial plan, but with only limited contingency funding set aside to address in year pressures. As at the end of October 2001, against their allocation of £198 million, Barnsley HA is forecasting a deficit of £2 million (or 1 per cent.). This is attributable to higher than expected community prescribing costs. In response to the current position, the health community is collectively working on a recovery plan to ensure delivery of a balanced financial position in 2001–02 without adversely affecting the delivery of agreed service targets.

HIV

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how HIV prevention work will be commissioned after 1 April 2002.

Jacqui Smith: From 1 April 2002, local HIV prevention will be commissioned by Primary Care Trusts. In addition, the Department of Health will continue to fund national HIV prevention work. Both national and local work will be undertaken in accordance with the priorities set out in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV. Implementation of the Strategy will be underpinned by robust performance management, for example using information collected under the AIDS (Control) Act 1987.

HIV

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how specialist commissioning for HIV prevention and treatment will be carried out after 1 April 2002.

Jacqui Smith: Both HIV/AIDS treatment and care and local HIV prevention will be commissioned by Primary Care Trusts. For the year ahead, Primary Care Trusts must honour existing agreements—both financial and otherwise—negotiated by Regional Specialised Commissioning Groups and current specialised service commissioners.
	Both national and local work will be undertaken in accordance with the priorities set out in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV. Implementation of the Strategy will be underpinned by robust performance management, for example using information collected under the AIDS (Control) Act 1987.

Delayed Discharges

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to tackle delayed discharges from hospitals.

Jacqui Smith: We are investing an additional £300 million over this year and the next as part of a radical 'cash for change' programme. This is aimed at reducing delayed discharges and targeted on the worst performing areas. This investment and reform will help to free up beds in hospitals, reduce waiting times for treatment and ensure patients, particularly older people, are cared for in the most appropriate place.
	Redbridge council has received £369,000 from the £100 million announced on 9 October to fund reductions in delayed discharges in 2001–02.

Delayed Discharges

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on reducing delayed discharges from hospital.

Jacqui Smith: We are investing an additional £300 million over this year and the next as part of a radical 'cash for change' programme. This is aimed at reducing delayed discharges and targeted on the worst performing areas. This investment and reform will help to free up beds in hospitals, reduce waiting times for treatment and ensure patients, particularly older people, are cared for in the most appropriate place.

Delayed Discharges

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of delayed discharges.

Jacqui Smith: Figures for September 2001, the latest available, show some 6.6 per cent. of discharges involved a delay. We have allocated an extra £100 million this year to reduce the number of delayed discharges by at least 1,000 by the end of the financial year.

Health Authority Funding Criteria

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors other than population are taken into account in calculating the payment made annually to each health authority.

John Hutton: A weighted capitation formula is used to inform revenue allocations to health authorities. The formula weights each health authority's population according to their relative need for health care and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing health care.

Waiting Times

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received about waiting times for NHS treatment.

John Hutton: The Department regularly receives correspondence from patients and hon. Members about waiting times for both inpatients and outpatients.

Bed Blocking (East Sussex)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on bed blocking in East Sussex.

Hazel Blears: The Government are aware that delayed discharges remains a particular problem in East Sussex. A Performance Improvement Plan was developed by East Sussex, Brighton and Hove health authority and the East Sussex and Hove social services departments to address the issue. The number of delayed discharges has been falling steadily since September 2001.
	Delayed discharges is a problem common to many parts of the country. To address this the Secretary of State, on 9 October, announced an additional £300 million over this year and next to tackle delayed discharges. East Sussex county council was recognised as a local authority in need of extra help and was allocated £1,255,000 this year from that money.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he issues to air travellers concerning the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Jacqui Smith: The Department's "Advice on Travel Related Deep Vein Thrombosis" was published on 30 November. It has been sent to airlines and will be made available to the public through the health services, the internet, the airlines and NHS Direct.
	The advice provides information about deep vein thrombosis and gives practical advice about how air passengers on long haul flights may reduce the risk of getting a blood clotting condition. In particular it describes simple in-seat exercises which should be recommended to all air passengers.

Health Statistics

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to collect and publish regular statistical information on the general state of health of the population.

Jacqui Smith: The Department commissions a range of surveys designed to provide regular information on various aspects of the nation's health which cannot be obtained from other sources. It is our normal practice to publish the results of all such surveys. These will be available in the Library and on the departmental website.

Anti-impotence Drugs

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the prescribing of anti-impotence drugs on the NHS.

Jacqui Smith: Earlier this year we held a public consultation about the arrangements governing eligibility for impotence treatments on the national health service. Expenditure on impotence treatments, at £25 million a year, is above what we expected and continues to increase. We concluded that the extra cost of allowing unrestricted prescribing might involve diversion of funds from other NHS priorities. Therefore we decided to maintain the restrictions introduced on 1 July 1999. To maintain a consistent approach the new drug treatment, Uprima, has been subject to the same restrictions since 1 November 2001.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding the chairman of Worcestershire acute hospital trust.

John Hutton: Two parliamentary questions regarding the chairman of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust were raised recently by the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff).
	The National Health Service Appointments Commission was established on 1 April 2001 to take over from Ministers the responsibility for appointing, training and appraising chairs and non-executives to the boards of national health service trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts. This includes responsibility for matters relating to resignation of individuals from board positions.

Care Home Beds

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home beds there were in (a) December 2000 and (b) December 2001.

Jacqui Smith: The main statistical collections on care home beds relate to 31 March each year. There were 539,200 care home beds at 31 March 2000 and 528,000 at 31 March 2001. The Department is currently collecting information on the number of care beds at 30 November 2001. Data on care home beds are requested by local capacity planning groups (that is aggregated at health authority level) as part of work to plan winter capacity. Details including proformas, can be found on the internet at http://www.doh.cov.uk/capacityplanning/capplan.htm

CT and MRI Scanners

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria will be used to distribute the next 50 CT and MRI scanners.

Jacqui Smith: Criteria for the distribution of the 50 CT and 50 MRI scanners announced in the NHS Cancer Plan have yet to be decided.
	However, databases of current equipment and regional provision as well as local information, such as the cancer networks facilities and equipment strategies, will be used to help formulate criteria for allocation.

York Health NHS Trust

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many York Health NHS Trust beds were occupied on average on each day of the last month for which figures are available by patients awaiting discharge to a nursing or residential care home.

Jacqui Smith: Data are not collected in the format requested. The table shows the number of York Health National Health Service Trust beds occupied by patients awaiting discharge to a nursing home or residential care home at the end of each seven day period during November 2001.
	
		
			  Seven days ending Awaiting public funding or residential/nursing home placement 
		
		
			 4 November 2001 35 
			 11 November 2001 33 
			 18 November 2001 31 
			 25 November 2001 28

Edgware Hospital

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about progress on services at the new hospital at Edgware.

John Hutton: Clearing the site of the new hospital has been completed. Invitations to tender for the building of the new hospital have been invited by 21 December.

NHS Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the National Health Service spent on hiring agency nursing staff in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: The expenditure on non-National Health Service nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, in England, for the financial year 2000–01 was £447,248,470. The non-NHS staff figures include all nurses, midwives and health visiting staff not directly employed by the NHS. We are unable to disaggregate agency nurses. The 2000–01 figure is the latest available and is provisional.

NHS Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimates he has made of the impact of staff shortages on NHS capacity.

John Hutton: The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, acknowledges that the shortage of human resources is the biggest constraint faced by the national health service today. The plan sets targets for recruiting 20,000 more nurses, 7,500 more consultants, 6,500 more therapists and other health professionals and 2,000 more general practitioners by 2004 over the 1999 baseline. The Government's manifesto carried these commitments forward.
	The NHS Plan also contains targets for increasing the number of students in training. There will be: 5,500 more nurses and midwives entering training each year by 2004 than there were in 1999, 4,450 more therapists and other key professional staff being trained by 2004, 1,000 more specialist registrars and 450 (since raised to 550) more doctors training for general practice by 2004.
	Taken together, these targets will address current shortages and provide for growth required to improve services in line with National Service Frameworks, the Cancer Plan and waiting time commitments.

Adult Stem Cell Research

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the progress and effectiveness of adult stem cell research in treating health disorders.

Hazel Blears: Adult sources of stem cells along with those from cord blood, foetal and now embryonic sources are being studied by researchers around the world. However, with the exception of the well established use of bone marrow derived cells in transplantation and some very early clinical trials using foetal cells in Huntington's and Parkinson's disease, this research has not yet reached the stage of treatment for any health disorders where assessments of this kind can be made.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his policy on (a) sanctions against and (b) bombing of Iraq.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 28 November 2001, Official Report, columns 965–66.

Civil Service

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on his discussions with the civil service commissioners about the terms of appointment of the next head of the civil service;
	(2)  what proposals he has to look outside the civil service for the appointment of the next Cabinet Secretary; what plans he has to fuse the Cabinet Office with the office in 10 Downing street; and what new conditions an applicant will be required to agree to before appointment as (a) head of the civil service and (b) Cabinet Secretary.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 626W.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister what action he instituted on and before 9 December into reports of a campaign by persons in Government to undermine the reputation of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answers I gave the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith) on 5 December 2001, Official Report, columns 323–24.

DEFENCE

New Deal (Young People)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed by the Department under the new deal for young people; and at what cost to public funds.

Lewis Moonie: Information follows on the number of people employed by my Department and its agencies under the new deal for young people. New deal recruits take up existing vacancies so extra costs are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any additional training and development which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot be readily identified.
	On 30 September 2001, the latest date for which information is available, 19 people between the ages of 18 and 24 were employed by the Ministry of Defence and its agencies under the new deal for young people. It is not, however, possible without disproportionate cost to identify the number serving who are now over age 24 but originally appointed through the young people's scheme.

RAF Finningley

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Manchester Airport submitted an expression of interest in acquiring the RAF Finningley site for development as a civil passenger airport; what meetings with his Department were held; and if he will publish the documents relating to the expression of interest.

Lewis Moonie: Expressions of interest from potential bidders for the former RAF Finningley were invited on 28 July 1996 in the Estates Gazette, as part of the first attempt to sell the site.
	Manchester Airport (consortium) was interviewed on 10 October 1996 along with a number of other parties.
	When the site was re-marketed in 1997, Manchester Airport did not apply.
	The release of documents relating to the expression of interest is a matter for Manchester Airport.

Defence Employment (Glasgow)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in Glasgow are employed in defence work.

Lewis Moonie: The number of directly employed Ministry of Defence jobs in the city of Glasgow local authority area as at 1 July 2000 is as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Military 1,204 
			 Civilian 1,832 
			 Civilian casual 7 
			  
			 Total 3,043 
		
	
	In addition to this direct employment, the MOD supports a significant number of defence related jobs throughout the UK. The Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) is currently unable to provide data relating to the number of jobs created or sustained directly or indirectly as a result of MOD expenditure at a national or regional level. DASA is currently reviewing their methodology on the estimation of employment figures dependent on UK defence expenditure.

Type 45 Destroyers

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Type 45 destroyers will be constructed in Scotland.

Lewis Moonie: Under the shipbuilding procurement strategy for the Royal Navy announced in the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 10 July 2001, Official Report, columns 675–85, the first Type 45 destroyer will be assembled and launched at Scotstoun on Clydeside. It is planned that the remainder of the class, of up to 12 ships, will be assembled and launched at Barrow in Furness. However, significant sections of each ship will be manufactured by Vosper Thornycroft at Portsmouth and BAE Systems Marine at Barrow and on the Clyde.

Gibraltar

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training exercises have been carried out by the armed forces (a) in and (b) from Gibraltar during the last three years; and how many of these were (i) Royal Navy (ii) RAF (iii) Army and (iv) all services.

Adam Ingram: About 300 training exercises have been carried out by the UK armed forces in and from Gibraltar during the last three years. Of these, five exercises each year are conducted off Rock by Gibraltar-based forces. Around 30 each year were maritime based including maritime/air and amphibious exercises, 50 predominantly Army and the remainder joint exercises.

Gibraltar

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships have docked in Gibraltar in the last three years.

Adam Ingram: 149 Royal Navy ships have docked in Gibraltar since April 1998.

Gibraltar

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are based in Gibraltar.

Adam Ingram: The Army presence on Gibraltar comprises 400 regular and reservist members of the Gibraltar Regiment plus around 60 UK-based Army personnel in a range of other posts.

Gibraltar

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the effect in military activity in and around Gibraltar as a result of the Brussels process.

Adam Ingram: Military activity on and around Gibraltar has not been affected by the recent Brussels process discussions.

Terms of Service

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what respects the terms of service of (a) regular servicemen and (b) reservists, including members of the Territorial Army, on full-time service differ.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Regulations

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regulations his Department has proposed to Parliament since June; what regulatory impact assessments have been made for those regulations his Department has implemented in 2001; and what plans his Department has to reduce the number of regulations affecting small businesses.

Lewis Moonie: As a non-regulatory Department, the Ministry of Defence has not proposed any regulations to Parliament since June and no regulatory impact assessments have been made.

RAF Menwith Hill

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his Department's policy to draw up a specific memorandum of understanding governing the presence of the USVF at RAF Menwith Hill.

Adam Ingram: The presence of the United States Visiting Forces at all bases made available to them in the UK is governed by the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951 and additional confidential arrangements. A separate memorandum of understanding governing the presence of the USVF at RAF Menwith Hill is not required.

Promotions

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) executive and (b) administrative officers in his Department may be promoted at the age of 58 years or over.

Lewis Moonie: Executive and administrative officers aged 58 years or over in the Ministry of Defence may apply and be selected for promotion opportunities.

Age Equality

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the compulsory retirement age is for (a) executives and (b) administrative officers in his Department, if the MOD's policy on retirement of (i) executive officers and (ii) administrative officers, complies with (A) the Government's Code of Practice on Age Diversity in employment and (B) the EU Employment Directive on Equality; if his policy is the same as other Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The normal retirement age in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is 60 for executives and 65 for administrative support staff. Like other Government Departments, the MOD has delegated authority to frame its retirement polity to meet its business needs, compliant with the Code of Practice, and there are differences between Departments.
	The MOD is reviewing its retirement policy in light of the Code, and the Performance and Innovation Unit's report on "Winning the Generation Game". This review will also take into account the implementation in the UK of the EU Equal Treatment Directive.

Departmental Staff (Home Working)

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to encourage staff to work from home; and how many staff do so on a regular basis.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the work/life balance of its civilian staff. A range of flexible working patterns, including part-time working, flexible working hours, job sharing and homeworking, is available to staff by agreement with their managers. The MOD publicises its policy on flexible working and encourages managers to respond positively to requests as part of its commitment to diversity.
	97 staff are formally registered as homeworkers and many others have the opportunity to work at home occasionally. Funding is available to provide equipment to enable staff to work from home on a full or part-time basis. A pilot scheme has been established to explore more formally the practical issues of working from home, and the lessons learned will be used to publicise and promote homeworking.

Defence Sites, Corsham

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in the Basil Hill and Copenacre sites in Corsham by (a) the Defence Communication Services Agency and (b) other units; how he expects the totals to change in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The number of Ministry of Defence (MOD) directly employed military and civilian staff employed at the Basil Hill and Copenacre sites is:
	(a) Defence Communication Services Agency (DCSA): 527
	(b) Other MOD Units: 219.
	In addition, the Rudloe site, which forms an integral part of the Corsham estate, is home to the Joint Support Unit (JSU) Corsham with a strength of 240. The JSU is a sub unit of the DCSA.
	There are also 130 staff of business partners working with the DCSA employed in these locations.
	The total number of MOD staff on the Corsham estate is therefore 1,116.
	As a result of work carried out for the Corsham Development Project, it is expected that the present on-site numbers will change in the next five years as follows:
	(a) DCSA inclusive of the JSU: 1,380
	(b) Other MOD Units: 194
	(c) Business Partners: 280.

Cruise Missiles

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cruise missiles have been used in the conflict in Afghanistan by (a) Britain and (b) the United States.

Geoff Hoon: UK submarines have launched a small number of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. I am withholding details of the precise number launched in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The number of cruise missiles fired by the United States is a matter for them.

Far East Prisoners of War

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the definition of "British" as it applies to civilian former prisoners of the Japanese was clarified; when the need for clarification was identified; and when and how the new criteria were first made public.

Lewis Moonie: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Army Cadet Force

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reinstate the use of barrack trousers as part of the Army Cadet Force standard uniform; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: There are no plans to issue barrack dress trousers to members of the Army Cadet Force.

Army Cadet Force

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures there are to increase cadet participation in Regular and Territorial Army exercises.

Lewis Moonie: Generally, cadets do not participate in Regular and Territorial Army exercises. If, however, there is activity that is deemed appropriate by the County Commandant—such as acting as casualties during first aid training—the cadets may participate. My hon. Friend may like to note that any such participation must be properly supervised and carried out in accordance with the rules laid down for cadet activities.

Army Cadet Force

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cadets in the Army Cadet Force there have been in each year since 1997; and how many Army Cadet Force units have been (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997.

Lewis Moonie: The numbers of cadets in the Army Cadet Force in each year since 1997 are shown in the table. These figures represent average numbers across each year.
	
		
			 Year Strength 
		
		
			 1997 40,047 
			 1998 40,707 
			 1999 42,550 
			 2000 42,491 
			 2001 40,573 
		
	
	Between 1 January 1997 and 1 November this year a total of 45 ACF detachments have closed and 66 have opened.

Army Cadet Force

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the procedure that is to be taken when promoting an army cadet within the Army Cadet Force; and what qualifications a cadet must have to achieve a higher rank in the organisation.

Lewis Moonie: Promotions in the cadets are granted in accordance with regulations contained in the Army Cadet Force manual; they depend entirely on merit and are achieved usually when cadets have qualified for the appropriate stars. The achievement of stars is linked to the successful completion of certain skills tests at various levels (such as fieldcraft, drill and skill at arms).
	To achieve promotion to Cadet Lance Corporal the cadet must have passed 1 star, for Cadet Corporal he or she must have passed 2 star, for Cadet Sergeant he or she must have passed 3 star and for Cadet Warrant Officer he or she must have passed 4 star.
	Cadets with exceptional or outstanding service may also be appointed as a Master Cadet or a Lord Lieutenant Cadet. Both appointments are made on the recommendation of the County Commandant.

Army (Ethnic Minorities)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from ethnic minorities there are in each of the Guards regiments; how many soldiers from ethnic minorities there are in the British Army not including the Gurkhas; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The number of soldiers from ethnic minorities, not including Gurkhas, in each of the Guard regiments and in the British Army as a whole is set out in the tables:
	
		Strength of Army soldiers in Guards regiments by ethnicity as at 1 November 2001
		
			  White(1) Non-white(1) Unspecified Total 
		
		
			 Grenadier Guards 713 22 5 740 
			 Coldstream Guards 816 7 5 828 
			 Scots Guards 719 10 7 736 
			 Irish Guards 614 22 10 646 
			 Welsh Guards 660 9 3 672 
		
	
	
		Strength of all Army soldiers by ethnicity as at 1 November 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 White(1) 88,974 
			 Non-white(1) 2,309 
			 Unspecified 4,546 
			  
			 Total 95,829 
		
	
	(1) Provisional
	Notes:
	1. The ethnic origin marker is currently being re-surveyed to align with the codes used in the 2001 Census. During this process all current intake is being recorded as being of unspecified origin. Strength figures are therefore shown as provisional.
	2. The figures provided are based on UK Trained Army Personnel (UKTAP) only; this does not include Full Time Reserve Service, Royal Irish Home Service or Gurkhas.
	3. Figures provided include Commonwealth personnel.
	The Army remains firmly committed to its long-term aim of achieving levels of ethnic minority representation which more closely reflect the population it serves. This was recognised earlier this year in a report following the Business in the Community's Race for Opportunity campaign, which rated the Army as Britain's top public sector organisation for race equality.

HMS Glorious

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent revisions he has made to the account of the sinking of HMS Glorious.

Lewis Moonie: There has been no revision to the account of the tragic sinking of HMS Glorious placed in the Library of the House in February 2000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact the trade in bushmeat has on the environment in West and Central Africa.

Clare Short: We have not made any specific assessments of the impact the bushmeat trade per se has had on the environment in West and Central Africa. However, we are conscious that the unsustainable escalation in the commercial bushmeat trade is a growing problem that is in large part a result of poverty and is facilitated by the expansion of the forestry and mining industries into natural forest areas.
	We are aware of the dangers posed to eco-systems by the unregulated expansion of these industries in west and central africa and are concerned to ensure that the long-term interests of poor people in sustainable natural resource management are addressed. DFID is currently working closely with DEFRA and other international, National and Civil Society bodies to address this issue. To this end we are involved in various initiatives that contribute to the conservation of wild animals and their habitats (see Annex 1).
	
		Annex 1: Examples of DFID-supported bilateral projects, and research and studies, that have a strong focus on wildlife/bushmeat species
		
			 Name of project Country Period of support £000 
		
		
			 Mbomipa Community Wildlife Project Tanzania 1997–2001 1,973 
			 Wildlife Intensification for Livelihood Development (WILD) Namibia 1999–2002 1,040 
			 Madikwe Community Wildlife Management South Africa 1997–1999 622 
			 Amboro Rural Development Bolivia 1996–2000 3,200 
			 Mount Cameroon Project Cameroon 1995–2002 10,602 
			 Community Forest Development Project Cameroon 1999–2002 1,049 
			 Indonesian Multi-Stakeholder Indonesia 1998–2005 25,150 
			 Cross River State Community Forestry Project Nigeria 1996–2001 2,000 
			 Forest Sector Development Project Phase II Ghana 2000–04 11,963 
			 
			 Joint-funding scheme with WWF
			 Gashaka-Gumpti/Kupe Nigeria/Cameroon 1991–2001  
			 Coastal forests/Bogoria/Udzungwa Kenya/Tanzania 1990–20016,289  
			 Kunene/Caprivi Namibia 1998–2001  
			 Mamiraua/Varzea Brazil 1991–2000  
			 
			 Studies and research:
			 Livestock-wildlife interactions Africa 1997–2001  
			 Illegal hunting in Serengeti NP Tanzania 1997–2000575  
			 Bushmeat in rural livelihoods of west Africa Ghana/Cameroon 2000–01

China

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what investigation she has made into the funding provided by (a) the United Nations Population Fund and (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation to China's population control authorities: and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: The United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) programme in China is one of the most scrutinised of their global portfolio. UNFPA Executive Board members including the United Kingdom, United States, European Union and developing countries, have reviewed the programme with the UNFPA representatives in Beijing and visited programme counties on five occasions since December 1997. My Department, including the DFID Health Adviser in Beijing, closely monitors the development of the programme.
	My Department also receives periodic reports from the International Planned Parenthood Federation on its work to promote awareness and implementation of international standards in reproductive health and greater respect for reproductive rights through its affiliate the China Family Planning Association (CFPA). The work of the CFPA was the subject of an independent review in 1996 led by Professor John Hobcraft of the London School of Economics who concluded that the IPPF was playing an effective and valuable role in influencing the work of the CFPA.

British Council Scholarships

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many British Council scholarships have been awarded to students from Southern Sudan in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001.

Clare Short: There were no British Council scholarships awarded to Sudanese students during this period.
	However, there were (a) 22 students from Sudan managed by the British Council in calendar year 2000; and (b) 22 in 2001. These 44 were funded either by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Chevening Scholarships) or the United Nations.
	The British Council figures do not identify which Sudanese students are from the south.

War Against Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how she expects her Department's development policy to be affected by the war against terrorism.

Clare Short: Tackling the poverty and ignorance which feed extremism and violence is vital to ending global terrorism. It has never been more evident that ending world poverty is in all of our self-interests. The 1997 and 2000 White Papers on international development set our policies for eliminating poverty and making globalisation work for the world's poor. The need to tackle terrorism provides additional impetus to my Department's efforts to implement these policies.

Sierra Leone

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the work of her Department in Sierra Leone.

Clare Short: In Sierra Leone, my Department is engaged primarily in promoting security and good governance. We are providing long-term support to the police, strengthening the Ministry of Defence to ensure the armed forces are more democratically accountable, and helping reintegrate ex-combatants wishing to return to civilian life. We are supporting the Anti-Corruption Commission, helping to reform the judiciary, training the media, assisting the Government to prepare for elections next year, and providing budgetary support to help meet the running costs of government. We also provide substantial support to meet the ongoing humanitarian needs of those displaced by the conflict.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Ministerial Meetings

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the oral answer from the Minister for Sport on 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 14, who (a) attends and (b) chairs the ministerial meetings on sports issues.

Richard Caborn: The meetings are attended by ministerial representatives from: the Department for Education and Skills; the Department of Health; the Home Office; the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. In addition senior representatives from Sport England, and the New Opportunities Fund attend. Sue Campbell, the joint adviser for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills, and Ben Chapman MP also attend. As Minister for Sport I chair the monthly meetings.

Ministerial Duties

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which (a) museums, (b) theatres, (c) art galleries and (d) sporting events (i) she and (ii) other Ministers in her Department have visited in an official capacity since 8 June; and what was the (1) purpose and (2) date of each visit.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 6 December 2001
	The information requested is shown in the following table. Visits to such events allow Ministers to see developments in their sector at first hand and demonstrate our support for such projects and initiatives. These are, of course, in addition to visits made in a private capacity or for party reasons.
	
		
			 Date Minister Event Event type 
		
		
			 12 June 2001 Secretary of State "Boris Gudunov" at the Riverside Studios Theatre 
			 13 June 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of Hideo Furuta's Sculpture in the Park Exhibition Art Gallery 
			 18 June 2001 Secretary of State and Minister of State for the Arts Vermeer Exhibition at the National Gallery Art Gallery 
			 19 June 2001 Minister of State for Sport Pakistan v Australia One Day Cricket International Sporting Event 
			 19 June 2001 Minister of State for the Arts BP Portrait awards at National Portrait Gallery Art Gallery 
			 21 June 2001 Secretary of State "My Fair Lady" at the Royal National Theatre Theatre 
			 25 June 2001 Secretary of State Tour of Brooklands Museum Museum 
			 25 June 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tate Britain—tour of the new galleries (work in progress) Art Gallery 
			 26 June 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of Ingres to Matisse: Masterpieces of French Painting Exhibition at Royal Academy Art Gallery 
			 30 June 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Lawn Tennis Championships, Wimbledon Sporting Event 
			 5 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Rachel Whiteread Exhibition at Serpentine Gallery Art Gallery 
			 5 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Lady Macbeth" at English National Opera Theatre 
			 7 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Lawn Tennis Championships, Wimbledon Sporting Event 
			 8 July 2001 Minister of State for Sport Lawn Tennis Championships, Wimbledon Sporting Event 
			 10 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Reception to celebrate the completion of the Everyman Millennium Commission Library at British Museum Museum 
			 11 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Royal Ballet School Performance at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House Theatre 
			 12 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Launch of the Theatre 2001 conference report at Prince of Wales Theatre Theatre 
			 12 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Un Giorno di Regno" at Buxton Festival Opening Night Theatre 
			 12 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of Somerset House Art Gallery 
			 15 July 2001 Minister of State for Sport Formula One Grand Prix Sporting Event 
			 17 July 2001 Secretary of State Predators Exhibition at Natural History Museum Museum 
			 17 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Wabi-Sabi" Exhibition of Japanese jewellery, metal and textiles at Contemporary Applied Arts Art Gallery 
			 17 July 2001 Minister of State for Sport European Cadet Boxing Championships Sporting Event 
			 22 July 2001 Minister of State for Sport 130 Open Golf Championships Sporting Event 
			 31 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Museum 
			 31 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Launch of "Priestley—Making Time and Space for Theatre" at Criterion Theatre Theatre 
			 31 July 2001 Minister of State for the Arts BBC Proms 14 at the Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 1 August 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "The Shape of Things" at the Almeida Theatre, Kings Cross Theatre 
			 3–7 August 2001 Minister of State for Sport World Athletics Championships Sporting Event 
			 7 August 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to Howard Hodgkin Exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery Art Gallery 
			 8 August 2001 Secretary of State "The Winter's Tale" at Royal National Theatre Theatre 
			 9 August 2001 Secretary of State "Twelfth Night" at Royal Shakespeare Theatre Theatre 
			 15 August 2001 Secretary of State Howard Hodgkin Exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery Art Gallery 
			 16 August 2001 Secretary of State BBC Proms—Beethoven Fidelio at Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 19 August 2001 Secretary of State BBC Proms—Dvorak Cello Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 28 August 2001 Secretary of State "Hamlet" at Young Vic Theatre 
			 28 August 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Theatre's Kids Week—Playhouse Theatre Theatre 
			 28 August 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "The Tragedy of Hamlet" at the Young Vic Theatre 
			 29 August 2001 Minister of State for Sport British Amputee Open Golf Championships 2001 Sporting Event 
			 1 September 2001 Minister of State for Sport Germany v England World Cup Qualifier Sporting Event 
			 5 September 2001 Minister of State for Sport England v Albania World Cup Qualifier Sporting Event 
			 5 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Swan Lake" at Sadler's Wells Theatre 
			 9 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of the exhibition at Jewish Museum, Berlin Museum 
			 9 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Philharmonic Hall, Berlin-Tiergarten Theatre 
			 10 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of Volksbuhne Theatre, Berlin Theatre 
			 11 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "All My Sons" at the Lyttelton Theatre Theatre 
			 12 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Jerwood Applied Arts Prize at Crafts Council Gallery Art Gallery 
			 13 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of Julian Stair Exhibition at Contemporary Applied Arts Art Gallery 
			 14 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts BBC Proms 72, at the Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 15 September 2001 Secretary of State Last Night of the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 15 September 2001 Minister of State for Sport St. Leger Horserace Sporting Event 
			 18 September 2001 Minister of State for Sport Stockport County v Sheffield United Sporting Event 
			 19 September 2001 Secretary of State Rembrandt's Women at Royal Academy of Arts Art Gallery 
			 25 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of new Collections Centre, Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester Museum 
			 25 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to the People's History Museum (part of the National Museum of Labour History) Museum 
			 28 September 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to the Rose Theatre excavation exhibition site Theatre 
			 4 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of the Japan 2001 "Facts of Life" exhibition at the Hayward Gallery Art Gallery 
			 5 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Rigoletto" at the Royal Opera House Theatre 
			 6 October 2001 Minister of State for Sport England v Greece Word Cup Qualifier Sporting Event 
			 8 October 2001 Secretary of State Opening of Robin Howard Dance Theatre Theatre 
			 8 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of the Paul Robeson Exhibition at the Theatre Museum, Covent Garden Museum 
			 9 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Leonore" at Sadler's Wells Theatre 
			 10 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of Crafts Council Art Gallery 
			 10 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of Exhibition of early Indian photography at Brunei Gallery, London School of Oriental and African Studies Art Gallery 
			 12 October 2001 Secretary of State "Leonore" at Sadler's Wells Theatre Theatre 
			 13 October 2001 Secretary of State "Julius Caesar" at Royal Shakespeare Theatre Theatre 
			 13 October 2001 Secretary of State Pisanello: Painter to the Renaissance Court Exhibition at National Gallery Art Gallery 
			 16 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of the "Radical Fashion" Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum Museum 
			 17 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Design Conference at Imperial War Museum Museum 
			 17 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of "Art on The Line" Exhibition at Courtauld Institute Gallery Art Gallery 
			 22 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to "The Dig" project at the Museum of London. Museum 
			 23 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Pisanello: Painter to the Renaissance Court Exhibition at the National Gallery Art Gallery 
			 24 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to the Conservation Centre at National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside Museum 
			 25 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to the Science Museum Museum 
			 25 October 2001 Secretary of State Exposed: The Victorian Nude Exhibition at Tate Britain Art Gallery 
			 25 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Preview of Linbury Galleries at Tate Britain and the inaugural exhibition 'Exposed: The Victorian Nude' Art Gallery 
			 30 October 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Paris/Barcelone: de Gaudi a Miro Exhibition at Grand Palais, Paris Art Gallery 
			 31 October 2001 Secretary of State Opening of London Transport Museum Learning Centre Museum 
			 1 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to ENO London Colliseum Theatre 
			 4 November 2001 Minister of State for Sport BT Swimming National Short Course Championships 2001 Sporting Event 
			 5 November 2001 Secretary of State Music for Youth Schools Prom at Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 7 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Schools Prom, Royal Albert Hall Theatre 
			 8 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Concert at the Royal College of Music Theatre 
			 9 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Linbury Biennial Prizes for Stage Design at National Theatre Theatre 
			 10 November 2001 Minister of State for Sport England v Sweden Sporting Event 
			 13 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to Wakefield Museum Museum 
			 13 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to Magna Centre Museum 
			 13 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts "Boy Gets Girl" at the Royal Court Theatre Theatre 
			 15 November 2001 Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting National Film Theatre Theatre 
			 16 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of Millennium Point Museum 
			 19 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Opening of British Galleries 1500–1900 at Victoria and Albert Museum Museum 
			 20 November 2001 Secretary of State Opening of British Galleries 1500–1900 at Victoria and Albert Museum Museum 
			 22 November 2001 Secretary of State "Switzerland Lights Up Tate Modern" at Tate Modern Art Gallery 
			 25 November 2001 Secretary of State Shakespeare Schools Drama Festival Showcase at Duke of York's Theatre Theatre 
			 26 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Tour of the British Museum Museum 
			 30 November 2001 Minister of State for the Arts Visit to the National Gallery. Art Gallery 
			 5 December 2001 Minister of State for Sport West Ham United v Aston Villa Sporting Event

Football (Safe Standing Areas)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the Football Licensing Authority report of 5 March relating to safe standing areas at football stadia.

Richard Caborn: The Football Licensing Authority's report of 5 March, entitled Report on the "Kombi" seating, Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, 23 and 24 February 2001 concerned the technical merits of one of a number of convertible seating systems which are in use at certain football stadia in Germany. I am arranging for copies of the report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Tourism (Euro)

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact on the UK tourism industry of Britain not being part of the Eurozone in January 2002.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	In his October 1997 statement to the House, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out five economic tests which will define whether a clear and unambiguous case for UK membership of the single currency can be made. An assessment of the five economic tests will be produced within two years of the start of this Parliament. The assessment will be comprehensive and rigorous; all relevant economic issues will be dealt with as part of the assessment.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Superintendent Ali Dizaei

Boris Johnson: To ask the Solicitor-General 
	(1)  when the Crown Prosecution Service received the file from the Metropolitan police investigating Superintendent Ali Dizaei;
	(2)  what action she has taken to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service has maintained its independence from the police and acted fairly and with impartiality when considering the case against Superintendent Ali Dizaei;
	(3)  when Crown Prosecutors advised the officers investigating Superintendent Ali Dizaei;
	(4)  what the reasons were for the delay by the Crown Prosecution Service in deciding whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Superintendent Ali Dizaei.

Harriet Harman: A full file of evidence was submitted on 12 October 2001 and additional information is still being submitted.
	Since 31 May 2000, the police have been submitting information and requests for advice to the Crown Prosecution Service. The CPS has been advising the police on an ongoing basis. This advice has covered matters of admissibility and the sufficiency of evidence upon a number of discrete criminal allegations.
	The Crown Prosecution Service has not delayed and has dealt with this case expeditiously. This police investigation has encompassed a number of separate criminal allegations and has resulted in the submission of a large volume of evidence. In the light of the complexity and sensitivity of the issues raised advice has been obtained from Senior Treasury Counsel. The review of the large volume of evidence and proper consideration of all the issues involved has necessarily required adequate time to complete.
	The Crown Prosecution Service works very closely with the police but makes decisions about cases through careful, independent and impartial consideration of all the evidence and application of the Code for Crown Prosecutors, which states that a prosecution will only be brought if there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and a prosecution is required in the public interest. The decision to start a prosecution is taken independently of the police and in this particular case will have the benefit of advice of independent Counsel.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Terrorists

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what process suspected terrorists who are wanted for alleged crimes are having prosecutions against them stopped; and if he will list their names, giving in each case the details of the charges that are being dropped and the known paramilitary affiliations.

Jane Kennedy: Decisions on ending prosecutions are a matter for the independent prosecuting authorities based on a strict application of evidential and public interest tests. Separately, in relation to terrorist prisoners on the run, the Government announced in September 2000 that they were dropping extraditions against those who would have had little or no time left to serve if they returned to Northern Ireland. This has no bearing on cases where there remains an outstanding need to prosecute but relates specifically to cases where the individual concerned has escaped from custody before the completion of their sentence. The Government have dealt with these individuals in a way that is consistent with the Sentences Act 1998, which provides for the accelerated release of prisoners. For the most part this has meant allowing the individuals back into the jurisdiction in order to allow them to make an application for early release to the Sentence Review Commissioners. In a handful of cases, individuals had served the same or longer periods in custody than those already released under the Sentences Act but fell outside the strict application of that legislation, either because time in custody had been served outside Northern Ireland or because their offences had not been scheduled at the time they were committed. In these cases the Secretary of State uses his powers under the Northern Ireland Prison Act 1953 to release life sentence prisoners on licence or to recommend use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy to remit outstanding portions of determinate sentences.
	To date these arrangements have been made in 19 cases. This arrangements does not represent an amnesty. The actions taken by the Government involve decisions on whether these individuals should be allowed to return to Northern Ireland without serving further time in custody because they have met the principles of the early release scheme. The early release scheme is an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement.
	Following the proposal made at the Weston Park talks, the Government have agreed to such steps as are necessary as soon as possible, and in any event by March 2002, to resolve the issue about supporters of organisations now on cease-fire against whom there are outstanding prosecutions, and in some cases extradition proceedings, for offences committed before 10 April 1998, who would, if convicted, stand to benefit from the early release scheme. We are currently considering the options for delivering this.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Wireless Telegraphy Regulations

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communications she has received from the European Commission concerning the draft Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Material Substances Forming Part of the Telecommunications System) Regulations 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Government received a detailed opinion from the Commission on 29 November and I will be responding, after receiving comments from the Radiocommunications Agency.

Home Working

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations she has received on the financial and other costs of fraudulent homeworking schemes on (a) the legitimate homeworking industry and (b) victims of such schemes;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the provisions of the Outworking Bill introduced in the last Parliament by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield; and if she will incorporate similar provisions in the forthcoming Enterprise Bill;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the impact of fraudulent homeworking schemes on people with low incomes.
	(4)  what plans she has to introduce legislation to safeguard consumers from fraudulent homeworking schemes;
	(5)  what estimates she has made of the number of fraudulent homeworking schemes in operation.

Melanie Johnson: Since January 2001:
	(a) No representations have been received from the legitimate homeworking industry.
	(b) Eight representations have been received from, or on behalf of, victims of fraudulent homeworking schemes.
	In the Regulatory Impact Assessment published with the Outworking Bill we assessed there could be up to one million victims of all the 300 schemes that are estimated to exist at any one time. The initial outlay by the victim is typically between £10 and £60, with some schemes eliciting supplementary payments. These schemes tend to attract vulnerable and low paid people.
	Due to the difficulty of monitoring the scam operatives' activities it is difficult accurately to gauge the size of the problem in financial terms.
	When the Outworking Bill was introduced we supported it as a way of further clamping down on homeworking scams although we recognised there was some scope to tackle these under existing legislation such as the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988 (CMARS). Since then we have strengthened the powers of Trading Standards officers by introducing Stop Now Orders. These enable trading standards authorities and the Office of Fair Trading to seek an injunction against anyone who is in breach of consumer protection legislation in a number of relevant areas, in particular misleading advertising. We plan to strengthen consumer protection by extending the injunctive regime through the Enterprise Bill. The Stop Now regime will cover all consumer protection legislation, and include Trading Standards as well as the OFT as enforcement bodies. This will further strengthen the ability of Trading Standards to shut down scams including homeworking scams.
	In 1999, 869 alleged scams were reported to the National Group on Homeworking. Based on their figures the Regulatory Impact Assessment, which accompanied the Outworking Bill, worked on the assumption that 300 schemes were operating at any one time.

Small Businesses

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2001, Official Report, column 306W, on small businesses, if she will identify the title of the Government response and the date it was issued; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

Nigel Griffiths: The "Government Response to the Better Regulation Task Force Shopkeepers Report" was issued on 17 October. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. It is available on the Cabinet Office website at the following address: http:// www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/TaskForce/2001/ response localshops.htm

Small Businesses

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what structures exist to facilitate communication between her Department and small businesses.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Service provides a focal point within Government for small business issues. SBS has a wide variety of contacts with small firms themselves, their representative bodies, and the various other organisations, such as regional development agencies, with an interest in helping small firms. The Small Business Service also has a programme of research to identify the needs and concerns of small businesses.
	The Small Business Council, made up primarily of small business owners, was appointed to advise the chief executive of the Small Business Service and report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on issues affecting small businesses.
	The council organised 12 town hall meetings in spring 2001, meeting small businesses owners across the country to hear their views on issues affecting small businesses. These findings were incorporated in the council's first annual report 2001 outlining 22 recommendations to Government to help SMEs operate more successfully.
	The Ethnic Minority Business Forum (EMPF) was set up to strengthen the dialogue between Government and the ethnic minority business communities to ensure that the Government are addressing the needs of all businesses.

Manufacturing Summit (Birmingham)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the (a) Ministers, (b) Government officers, (c) Members of Parliament and (d) delegates attending the Manufacturing Summit in Birmingham on 5 December; what criteria were used to select them; and what the terms of reference were for the event.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 5 December 2001
	The full list of delegates is as follows:
	Patricia Hewitt—Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
	Nick Brown—Minister for Work
	Andrew Smith—Chief Secretary, HM Treasury
	Sir Ken Jackson—General Secretary, AEEU
	Chris Liddell—General Secretary, Transport and General Workers
	Eddie Lynch—General Secretary, Iron and Steel Trade Conference
	Paul Gates—General Secretary, KFAT
	Roger Lyons—General Secretary, MSF
	John Monks—General Secretary, TUC
	Estelle Morris—Secretary of State for Education and Skills
	Alan Johnson—Minister for Employment Relations and the Regions
	Tony Burke—Deputy General Secretary, Graphic Paper and Media Union
	Martin Temple—Director General, Engineering Employers Federation
	John Weston—Chief Executive, BAE Systems
	Paul Barron—President, Alstom UK
	Sir Ian Gibson—Innovation and Growth Team
	Ken Poulter—Small Business Service
	James McAdam—Chairman, Textile and Clothing Strategy Group
	John Edmonds—General Secretary, GMB
	Christine Wood—Regional Secretary, TUC Midlands Region
	Ray Griffiths—AEEU
	Kevin Curran—GMB
	Bill Holmes—MSF
	Bob Dover—Chief Executive, LandRover
	Graham Speechley—Managing Director, Benteler Automotive UK Ltd.
	David Warren—Director Business Group, British Trade International
	Graham Garbutt—Regional Director, Government Office for the West Midlands
	Mike Warnock—Director, Strategic Planning, Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board
	Greg McConnell—Deputy Secretary DETI, Northern Ireland
	Charlie Woods—Senior Director Knowledge Management, Scottish Enterprise
	John Wilson—Director General, British Apparel and Textile Confederation
	Sue Battle—British Chamber of Commerce
	Mike Baunton—Perkins Engines
	Michael Stark—Learning and Skills Council
	Digby Jones—Director General, Confederation of British Industry
	Dr. Julie Madigan—Chief Executive, The Manufacturing Institute
	Professor Kumar Bhattacharrya—Chief Executive, Warwick Manufacturing
	John Cushnaghan—Managing Director, Nissan UK
	George Barlow—Chairman, London Development Agency
	Graham Hall—Chairman, Yorkshire Forward
	Alex Stephenson—Chairman, Advantage West Midlands
	Lord Thomas of Macclesfield—Chairman, North West Development Agency
	Derek Mapp—Chairman, East Midlands Development Agency
	Chris Farrow—Welsh Development Agency
	Rita Donaghy—Chair, ACAS
	Adrian Hill—HEFCE
	Vincent Watts—Chairman, East of England Development Agency
	Sir Michael Lickiss—Chairman, South West Regional Development Agency
	John Bridge—Chairman, One North East.
	In addition, there were 31 observers from Government Departments and from the other organisations represented at the summit.
	Delegates were selected on the basis that there should be a good, representative spread of manufacturing interests around the table, which would lead to a manageable and informed discussion.
	There were no specific terms of reference for the event. Its purpose was to provide an opportunity for government and its partners to come together and share views on what the key issues are, and to focus on the practical steps for dealing with them.

Broadband Services

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to encourage the wholesale market for broadband capacity in areas with no current broadband infrastructure.

Douglas Alexander: On 3 December I set out a range of actions in the Government response to the broadband stakeholder group to further intensify competition, drive up demand, stimulate the production of new broadband content and facilitate broadband rollout in rural areas. We have also provided £30 million for regional projects to extend broadband networks, while challenging the industry to market and price broadband services effectively. Oftel has additionally required the provision by BT of wholesale ADSL on non-discriminatory terms.

Consignia

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with Consignia about proposed changes to the delivery of the mail.

Douglas Alexander: The Department has regular discussions with Consignia about a range of strategic issues facing the company. Consignia's proposals in relation to the delivery of mail are operational issues for the company provided that it remains within the terms of the licence issued to it by the Postal Services Commission.

Consignia

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the financial position of Consignia for the current financial year; what resulting action she has asked the chairman to take; and what action she plans to take in respect of the chairman.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 29 November 2001
	As shareholder we are obviously disappointed at the losses made by Consignia for the current financial year. It is clear that the company urgently needs to improve its performance. The company has been given the greater commercial freedom that the management and the unions had long wanted and its challenge is now to improve its performance.
	The Government as owner of Consignia are actively taking steps to strengthen the company's management. Earlier this year a new Finance Director (Marisa Cassoni) joined the Board; this was followed by the appointment of Allan Leighton to the non-executive team to take a special interest in the post office network; a Chief Executive of the new Post Office Ltd. (Consignia's network subsidiary) is currently being recruited. The appointee will be on the main Consignia Board.

Regional Development Agencies

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what decisions she has made about the future membership of the boards of the eight regional development agencies outside London; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: I am pleased to announce 39 new appointments to the Regional Development Agency boards; their names are as listed. These appointments begin on 14 December 2001 and are for three years, expiring on 13 December 2004. 50 per cent. of board members now have current or recent business experience. 35 per cent. of the new appointments are women and 18 per cent. are from ethnic minorities. I have placed further details of the new appointees in the Libraries of the Houses.
	Decisions on appointments have been made following fair and open competition and following consultation with key national and regional players.
	One NorthEast
	Christopher Edwards
	Jackie Fisher
	Geoffrey Hodgson
	Tim Cantle Jones
	Jane Nolan
	David Walsh
	NWDA
	Neville Chamberlain
	Sir Martin Harris
	Pauleen Lane
	Anil Ruia
	Brenda Smith
	Michael Storey
	Yorkshire Forward
	Eileen Bosomworth
	Dr. Christopher King
	Kathryn Pinnock
	EMDA
	Kashmir Bilgan
	Samantha Gemmell
	Jonathan McLeod
	Rita Patel
	Peter Ramsden
	Andrew Scarborough
	Advantage West Midlands
	Isabella Moore
	Tony Sealey
	Paul Tilsley
	EEDA
	Roger Ali
	Ruth Bagnall
	Sal Brinton
	Marco Cereste
	Leo Murray
	Chris Paveley
	Yasmin Shariff
	SEEDA
	James Brathwaite
	Elizabeth Brighouse
	Robert Douglas
	Ken Thornber
	SW RDA
	Nicholas Buckland
	Brian Kemp
	Robin Nicoll
	Colin Skellett.

Atlantic Telecom

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had regarding the collapse of Atlantic Telecom; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I met with my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, Central (Mr. Doran) on 19 November and with my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith on 21 November. From these meetings, and those which the Scottish Executive Minister held at the same time, we were clear about the difficulties facing Atlantic's business customers in particular.
	I then had discussions with the Director General of Telecommunications on 20 November expressing my resolve that everything possible should be done to smooth the transfer of customers from Atlantic to other operators. I then met the Chief Executive of BT, Sir Peter Bonfield, and the Group Commercial Director, Colin Green, on 22 November where I sought BT's assistance to ensure that they would expedite the connection of ex-Atlantic customers. BT assured me it would do all it could to help facilitate a quick transfer of customers.
	As a result of further intensive discussions, we therefore announced on 24 November, along with the Scottish Executive Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, a £0.5 million joint rescue package, extending the operation of fixed wireless telephone services to allow customers to switch to an alternative telecoms supplier. The extended operation will end on 2 January 2002 at the latest.

Miners' Pensions

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the pension rights of miners dismissed during the 1984–85 strikes.

Brian Wilson: Following the consultation process last year, I am persuaded that a number of miners dismissed in connection with the 1984–85 strike, and not subsequently re-employed by British Coal, were harshly treated.
	I have concluded that the most appropriate way forward would be to enhance the pensions of these miners in recognition of the years of further service they lost as a result of British Coal's decision not to re-employ them. The costs of this will be met from the residual assets of British Coal. I would emphasise that those whose offences involved serious acts of violence or intimidation or actions which jeopardised the safety of others will not qualify for this enhancement of pension.
	I will shortly be writing to interested parties with details of how this will be put into effect.

Miners' Pensions

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Government received from mining pension fund surpluses in 2000–01; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 6 December 2001
	In 2000–01 the Government received £425.3 million from the mining pension fund surpluses. This included £114.4 million that was held over from the previous year.

TREASURY

RenewCo

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Treasury (a) provided new information to the Office for National Statistics on the structure of RenewCo; and (b) subsequently requested confirmation of the classification of RenewCo.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 10 December 2001
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what date the Treasury provided new information to the Office for National Statistics on the structure of Renewco and subsequently requested confirmation of the classification of Renewco (22070).
	On 14 September 2001 the Treasury provided new information on Rewnewco to the Office for National Statistics and requested advice on its classification within National Accounts. The Office for National Statistics requested further detailed information, which arrived on 24 September 2001.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice the Treasury has received from the office for national statistics on the treatment of Government loans to Railtrack while in administration in the national accounts.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 10 December 2001
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what advice the Treasury has received from the Office for National Statistics on the treatment of government loans to Railtrack while in administration in the national accounts (22065).
	The Treasury did not seek advice on the national accounts treatment of these loans and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) did not provide any. Once ONS had decided on the national accounts classification of Railtrack while in administration, the classification of government loans to it is straightforward. These are classified as central government loans to the private non-financial corporations sector. This treatment has been reflected in the National Statistics public sector finances release, which is based on national accounts definitions and jointly published by ONS and the Treasury.

Railtrack

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect on risk premium which will have to be budgeted for in future partnerships with the private sector, following the events surrounding Railtrack going into administration.

Andrew Smith: We do not anticipate that there will be any long-term impact on the risk premium for PPPs as a result of Railtrack administration. In its report of 23 October, credit rating agency Standard and Poors said:
	"the Railtrack situation has no direct credit implications for rated PFI projects".
	PPPs are fundamentally different from the regime under which Railtrack operated. Whereas PPPs involve output focused bilateral contracts which provide a clear allocation of risks, Railtrack was privatised under a broadly standard utility-style regulatory structure; although, unlike any other privatised utility, some two thirds of its revenue came from Government.

Public Sector Net Investment

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of public sector net investment was as a share of GDP in (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000, (c) 2000–01 and (d) 2001–02; what estimates were made by his Department in the Budgets of (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The table sets out public sector net investment (PSNI) as a proportion of GDP in the years requested, together with the projections made in the Budgets between 1997 and 2000.
	
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Pre-Budget report 2001 0.7 0.5 0.7 1.3 
			 Budget 2000 0.6 0.6 0.9 1.2 
			 Budget 1999 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 
			 Budget 1998 0.8 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Budget 1997 0.9 n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	PSNI figures are regularly revised by the Office for National Statistics, and can be affected by revisions to depreciation, as well as actual public sector capital spend. In particular, the Office for National Statistics made very significant revisions in the summer of 1998, which makes the figures before and after Budget 1998 difficult to compare.

Public Sector Net Investment

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the level of public sector investment as a share of gross domestic product in each year from 1978–79 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The level of public sector net investment, as a proportion of GDP, between 1978–79 and 2000–01 is set out in table B23 of the pre-Budget report. Projections for this year, and future years, are set out in table B6 of the same report.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the growth of current expenditure in the total departmental expenditure limit, in real terms, for the period 1998–99 to 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The annual average real growth in current expenditure within departmental expenditure limits between 1998–99 and 2003–04 is 4.1 per cent.

Savings Gateway and Child Trust Fund

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what has been the cost of consultation on the (a) Savings Gateway and (b) Child Trust Fund;
	(2)  what he expects to be the cost of (a) the Savings Gateway pilot projects and (b) the follow-up report, "Delivering Saving and Assets"; and when he expects each of them to be completed;
	(3)  what his current target date is for the introduction of (a) the Savings Gateway and (b) the Child Trust Fund.

Ruth Kelly: Consultation on proposals for the Savings Gateway and Child Trust Fund, including publishing the follow-up consultation document "Delivering Saving and Assets", has been conducted at negligible cost and within Departmental Expenditure Limits.
	The costs of the Savings Gateway pilot schemes and further consultation on the Savings Gateway and Child Trust Fund will also be contained within existing spending plans. Detailed proposals of the pilot schemes remain to be decided, but based on the proposed size and scope of the pilot projects it is anticipated that the costs of operating them might be up to about £1.5 million. Proposals for both the Savings Gateway and the Child Trust Fund will continue to be developed through the process of consultation, as well as being considered as part of Spending Review 2002. It will be important to get the design of these new proposals right and no fixed deadline has been set for the introduction of either initiative.

Savings Ratio

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his forecast is of the savings ratio for the next two quarters.

Ruth Kelly: The household saving ratio can be very volatile from quarter to quarter, so the Government do not publish quarterly forecasts. Annual forecasts can be found in the pre-Budget report (Cm 5318).

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by the Department under the new deal for young people; and at what cost to public funds.

Ruth Kelly: Specific information is not available in the form requested for HM Treasury and Customs and Excise.
	The available information on the number of people specially recruited under the new deal for young people is as follows. As at 1 April 2001 Inland Revenue employed 19 people and the Office for National Statistics employed one person. These recruits took up existing vacancies so extra costs are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any additional training and development which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot be readily identified.

Absence

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in each of the last four years.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (David Maclean) on 20 July 2001, Official Report, column 563W.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the saving to public funds in 2000–01 from achievement of the Public Service Agreement target for the reduction of surplus buildings on the Government Estate.

Andrew Smith: £23.8 million.

Productivity Growth

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the level of productivity growth in (a) the UK and (b) other members of the G7 and the OECD over the last three years.

Ruth Kelly: The Government make regular assessments of trends in productivity growth both within the UK and compared to other G7 member countries. The most recent assessment was published in the pre-Budget report 2001.

Climate Change Levy

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 66W, on the climate change levy, if the CCL will lead to additional VAT receipts of about £30 million per annum; and if this VAT revenue will be recycled via a reduction in employees national insurance.

Paul Boateng: The CCL is estimated to generate additional VAT receipts of, at the most, £30 million per annum. This represents the portion of VAT on fuel inputs which cannot be reclaimed. All revenues resulting from the introduction of the CCL, including VAT receipts, are recycled via a reduction in employers national insurance contributions and funding of energy efficiency measures.

Unemployment

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown for each of the last two Parliaments of the change in the number of 18 to 24-year- olds unemployed for over six months.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Bercow, dated 11 December 2001
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for a breakdown for each of the last two parliaments of the change in the number of 18 to 24 year olds unemployed for over six months (20462).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics for unemployment from surveys following the internationally standard International Labour Organisation definition.
	ONS also compiles statistics of claimants of unemployment- related benefits. The claimant count consists of all people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.
	The table provides a breakdown of the available figures.
	
		United Kingdom: changes over the last two parliaments for 18–24 year olds (a) ILO unemployed for 6 months or more; (b) claiming unemployment benefit for 6 months or more
		
			  Number 
		
		
			  ILO unemployment(2) 6 months or more duration 
			 LFS reference period(3)  
			 March to May 1992 364,000 
			 April to June 1997 189,000 
			 May to July 2001 104,000 
			 Change March to May 1992 to April to June 1997 -175,000 
			 Percentage -48.1 
			 Change April to June 1997 to May to July 2001 -85,000 
			 Percentage -45.0 
			   
			  Claimant count(4),(5) claiming for 6 months or more 
			 Claimant count reference month(6)  
			 April 1992 358,114 
			 May 1997 169,498 
			 June 2001 40,089 
			 Change April 1992 to May 1997 -188,616 
			 Percentage 52.7 
			 Change May 1997 to June 2001 -129,409 
			 Percentage -76.3 
		
	
	(2) Seasonally adjusted
	(3) As asked for in the question, the periods shown are centred around the General Election dates. It would be more useful to make comparisons are made between consecutive 3 month periods.
	(4) Not seasonally adjusted
	(5) Monthly claimant count data by age and duration are on the basis of all claims for April 1992 and computerised claims only for later years.
	(6) For data that is not seasonally adjusted comparisons should normally be made between data for the same month each year. For this reason, comparisons between different months should be used with caution.

Unemployment

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people over the age of 16 in rural areas had been unemployed for over 12 months in June of each of the last four years.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Bercow, dated 11 December 2001
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about unemployment in rural areas (22034).
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of unemployment, based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition. However, it does not currently provide estimates of unemployment on an urban/rural basis.
	The ONS is aware of the growing need for statistics and information to be available for rural and urban geographies. To this end, we are playing an active role in a cross-government group, led by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which is developing guidance on common definitions of rural and urban areas. These definitions will then form the basis of developing statistics for those geographies.

Unemployment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people between 16 and 60-years-old in rural areas had been unemployed for (a) six, (b) 12 and (c) 18 months in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 6 December 2001
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Malcolm Bruce, dated 11 December 2001
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about unemployment in rural areas (20910).
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of unemployment based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition. However, it does not currently provide estimates of unemployment on an urban/rural basis.
	The ONS is aware of the growing need for statistics and information to be available for rural and urban geographies. To this end, we are playing an active role in a cross-government group, led by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which is developing guidance on common definitions of rural and urban areas. These definitions will then form the basis of developing statistics for those geographies.

Capital Assets

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 270W, on capital assets, what his estimate is of the contribution to public sector net investment made by PPPs in each financial year from 1997–98 to 2003–04.

Andrew Smith: Public Private Partnerships (PPP) cover a wide range of projects. They have been set up in most central Government Departments and local authorities, and in some public corporations. No information is held centrally on their total value.
	In many cases the private sector owns the capital assets used in PPPs. In most of these cases the capital expenditure would not count as public sector net investment because it is private sector expenditure. The exceptions are when a PPP involves a lease of an asset by the public sector, and the accountants classify it as a finance lease. In those circumstances the capital expenditure, and the depreciation of the asset, would be part of the calculation of public sector net investment.
	Although private sector investment does not usually count within public sector net investment, it is included as part of the total investment in our public services. This year, it is estimated that private sector investment through PFI will be £4.4 billion out of total investment of £34.2 billion.
	Figures for estimated private sector investment through PFI can be found in tables c17 and estimated payments by Departments in table C18 of Budget 2001. Private sector investment in off-balance sheet PPPs does not score as public sector net investment.
	The vast majority of total investment in public services is funded by the public sector—this year over 85 per cent. of total investment in public services will be funded in this way.

Special Advisers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2001, Official Report, columns 741–42W, on records kept under Clause 9 of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, if he will list the internal purposes to which he referred.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 4 December 2001
	These are set out in Clause 9 of the Code to which the hon. Member refers.

Crown Estate

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown Estate has spent on corporate hospitality in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Andrew Smith: holding answer 27 November 2001
	The Crown Estate spent the following on corporate hospitality:
	
		
			 Year £ 
		
		
			 (a) 1998–99 9,198 
			 (b) 1999–2000 12,173 
			 (c) 2000–01 135,415 
		
	
	This figure includes costs for special receptions to mark the millennium, held for Crown Estate tenants. These comprised a garden party in the Windsor Estate for some 1,500 guests, and a dinner in Stirling Castle for some 200 guests.
	(d) 2001–02: Projected to be £16,610.

Crown Estate

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown Estate spent on corporate sponsorship in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Andrew Smith: holding answer 6 December 2001
	The Crown Estate contributes to activities related to land and property management and figures for these contributions are supplied:
	
		
			 Year £ 
		
		
			 (a) 1998–99 26,450 
			 (b) 1999–2000 45,896 
			 (c) 2000–01 72,730 
			 (d) 2001–02(7) 37,431 
		
	
	(7) Predicted to date
	These activities include items such as contributions to the cost to the Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch scheme, the Marine Education Centre in Kimmeridge, Dorset and the Moray Firth Partnership (coastal forum) newsletter. The Crown Estate does not, as a general rule, provide corporate sponsorship for cultural or sporting events.
	In addition, in Regent street where the Crown Estate owns all the property between Piccadilly circus and Oxford circus (an estate valued at £742.5 million) the Crown Estate contributed £193,836 (1999–2000) and £200,000 (2000–01) to the Regent street Christmas lights and £61,796 (2000–01) to the Regent street festival, as part of its management strategy to maintain and enhance Regent street's reputation and position as one of London's premier shopping destinations.

Royal Finances

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to distinguish, for the purpose of treatment of royal finances, between the private wealth of the sovereign and that held in trust by the sovereign in her capacity as head of state; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will list the taxation provisions where the treatment of the sovereign in her private capacity differs from that applied to the rest of the population;
	(3)  if he will take steps to make mandatory the arrangement under which Her Majesty the Queen pays tax on her private income.

Gordon Brown: holding answers 10 December 2001
	The taxation arrangements for Her Majesty are set out in the Memorandum of Understanding in the Royal Trustees Report (HC 464) published on 11 February 1993. Assets held by Her Majesty as Head of State, i.e. on behalf of the nation, include the Royal Collection, the assets of the Crown Estate, the occupied and Historic Royal Palaces, and the Royal Parks. These are distinct from private assets, whose tax treatment is covered in the Memorandum of Understanding. We have no plans to change these arrangements.

National Income

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of national income is spent on (a) work and pensions, (b) health, (c) national debt, (d) defence, (e) education and skills, (f) trade and industry, (g) environment, food and rural affairs, (h) transport, local government and the regions, (i) international development, (j) law and order, (k) asylum and immigration and (l) culture, media and sport.

Andrew Smith: Government spending by function, as a percentage of national income, is detailed in Table 3.4 of "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02", published in April 2001, as Command Paper 5101.

Public-Private Venture Capital

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to achieve his target of £1 billion of public-private venture capital funding; and what proportion of this target he expects to be (a) public and (b) private.

Paul Boateng: The target will be achieved over several years. The split between public and private funding will depend on commercial considerations.

Benefits (Portsmouth, South)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people received (a) tax credits and (b) means- tested benefits in the constituency of Portsmouth, South in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The latest available information for Portsmouth, South is in the following table:
	
		Recipients of (a) tax credits and (b) certain income related benefits in the Portsmouth, South constituency—May 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) 2,100 
			 Disabled Person's Tax Credit (DPTC) 24 
			 Income Support (IS) 7,600 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance (income based)(JSA) 1,300 
			  
			 Total 11,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Apart from DPTC, the figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample. They are subject to sampling error and therefore shown to the nearest hundred.
	2. Recipients of WFTC or DPTC who also receive IS or JSA are included only in the first two columns. This eliminates doubling counting in the total.
	3. DPTC figure is for April.
	Sources:
	Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries May 2001
	Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries May 2001
	Working Families Tax Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiry May 2001
	Disabled Person's Tax Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiry April 2001
	Housing benefit and council tax benefit figures are not available for the Portsmouth, South constituency but are available for the Portsmouth local authority.
	
		Recipients of housing benefit and council tax benefit in Portsmouth—May 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Housing benefit 15,900 
			 Council tax benefit 13,710 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data refer to benefit units, which can be single persons or couples.
	2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.
	3. Housing benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.
	4. Council tax benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
	Source:
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock

Tax Credits (Glasgow)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Glasgow have received (a) the working families tax credit, (b) the child care tax credit and (c) the disabled persons tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the numbers receiving the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) and the Disabled Person's Tax Credit (DPTC) in each local authority and parliamentary constituency are published in the WFTC and DPTC Quarterly Enquiries, copies of which are in the Library. It is estimated that about 2.6 thousand families in Glasgow City were receiving the child care tax credit within WFTC or DPTC at May 2001.
	The estimates for WFTC and for the child care tax credit are however based on 5 per cent. samples of awards, and are therefore subject to sampling error.

Public Services Productivity

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish the paper on public services productivity mentioned in paragraph 1.13 of 'Productivity in the UK: The evidence and the Government's approach'; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: Work on the paper is well under way, and the paper will be published in due course.

Employment Tax Credit

James Purnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of how the employment tax credit could be combined with training to increase the earnings potential of the low paid.

Dawn Primarolo: Recent work by CBI-TUC and the Performance and Innovation Unit has underlined the importance of workforce development and skill acquisition in the UK. Their reports identify significant market failures that restrict training opportunities for lower skilled employees. To tackle these market failures and deliver a long-term improvement in workplace training the Government are considering a range of options for a new policy framework to reform the UK training system and encourage more training among people with low skills. In the PBR, the Government said they would examine an approach based on four complementary, linked elements which would require commitments by stakeholders—the Government, employers and individuals. These are: financial support for employers whose staff take time off; free learning provision for employees; and entitlement to take-up training and extended guidance and support.

Employment Tax Credit

James Purnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Government have made of the relationship between incentives to work for a second earner and the introduction of the employment tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: The working tax credit aims to make work pay and tackle poverty. The working tax credit will improve work incentives for second earners by:
	assessing against gross income, enabling the second earner in the household to take advantage of national insurance contributions thresholds, income tax allowances and rate bands. In this way, gross tapers should lessen the unemployment trap for tax credit recipients by reducing the average deduction rate;
	allowing couples with children with joint working hours of over 30 hours to qualify for an extra credit, even if neither of them individually works 30 hours or more.

Capital Modernisation Fund

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the Capital Modernisation Fund made no allocations in 2001.

Andrew Smith: Over £1 billion was allocated from the Capital Modernisation Fund in March 2001 to support 55 new projects.

ECOFIN

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the ECOFIN Council held in Brussels on 4 December; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I attended ECOFIN on 4 December.
	ECOFIN agreed reports to the Laeken European Council on pensions and on structural performance indicators (to measure progress on economic reform). The report on pensions respects the position of the Government and other member states that decisions on pensions are primarily for member states. I reminded ECOFIN colleagues of the importance of economic reform and it was agreed that ECOFIN should closely monitor progress.
	There was a discussion of the tax package, including the directive on taxation of savings. I made it clear, along with 11 other Finance Ministers, that the substantial content of this directive had been agreed by ECOFIN in November 2000, reflecting the principles agreed at the Feira European Council, and that this should now be reopened. The Commission noted that it would shortly commence formal negotiations with third countries on the adoption of equivalent measures. I reported on the Government's discussions with United Kingdom dependent territories, noting that every jurisdiction recognised and fully supported the need for greater co-operation in the fight against tax abuse and evasion.
	ECOFIN received a written report from the Code of Conduct working group, which the Paymaster General chairs. There was no discussion of the report.
	The Commission provided a progress report on its negotiations with the European Parliament on the Lamfalussy procedure to fast-track financial services legislation. During a short discussion of the draft prospectus directive, I emphasised that it must meet its objective of reducing the cost of capital, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
	The Court of Auditor's annual report was presented to Ministers.
	The Commission noted that, since not all member states had yet ratified the new Own Resources Decision, the 2002 Community budget would in the meantime need to be based on the old Own Resources Decision. The UK has already ratified this Decision.
	Along with six other Finance Ministers—a majority of those speaking—I called for further analysis of the Galileo satellite navigation project before additional funds are committed.
	Most member states could accept a March 2002 cut-off date for ending Government guarantees for airline insurance. The Government recently extended their scheme—Troika—until 22 January 2002.
	In a discussion of the forthcoming UN Financing for Development (FfD) conference, I emphasised that EU aid should be reformed to make it more effective and that untying was an important way to meet aid targets. I also advocated the international development trust fund as a way to lever in more resources to reach the $50 billion target in the Zedillo report.
	The Commission agreed to examine an Austrian proposal to tackle VAT fraud.
	It was agreed that concrete proposals would be brought forward on gender mainstreaming the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines.
	Agreement was not reached on EIB loans to EFTA countries. This will be discussed again on 13 December.
	ECOFIN was followed by a dialogue with the Finance Ministers of the 13 candidate countries and the European central bank, which focused on the need for structural reforms in the candidate countries and real convergence with the EU. A joint communiqué was agreed.
	No votes were taken at the meeting.

Pension Tax Credit

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the pension tax credit in each of the next three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested can be found in "Table B4: Estimated costs of the pre-Budget report measures and other measures announced since Budget 2001" in the pre-Budget report, November 2001 (Cm 5318).

Contingent Risks

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the reference to contingent risks as set out in Treasury guidance document: "Appraisal and evaluation in central Government", paragraph 4.42 includes political risks; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The paragraph specified refers to contingent liabilities which are commitments to future expenditure if certain events occur, such as premature termination of contract. A wide range of factors must be taken into account when appraising the likelihood of their occurrence, including where appropriate regulation and legislation risks.

Stamp Duty

Alan Beith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason Ulgham was not included in the list of disadvantaged wards in Northumberland eligible for stamp duty relief; and whether it was his policy to include in that list any ward which met the Objective 2 measure of deprivation.

Paul Boateng: For England, the exemption is available for the 15 per cent. most deprived wards as identified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000. The ward of Ulgham, in the Castle Morpeth district, does not fall within this category. The qualifying areas were identified by reference to each country's most recent index of deprivation.

Small Businesses

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what structures exist to facilitate communication between his Department and small businesses.

Paul Boateng: Treasury Ministers and officials have a wide range of contact with small businesses and the organisations that represent them. HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue are also both committed to understanding and fulfilling the expectations of their customers better. Both Departments offer specific support to small businesses to help them understand and comply with their obligations.

Air Passenger Duty

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the air passenger duty has been since 1997.

Paul Boateng: The information is as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			  Passengers to:  
			  European economic area (EEA) destinations Other destinations 
		
		
			 Up to 31 October 1997 (8)5 10 
			 From 1 November 1997 (8)10 20 
			
			 From 1 April 2001   
			 Lowest class of travel (9)5 20 
			 Other than lowest class (9)10 40 
		
	
	(8) Nil on passengers travelling on the return leg of a round trip within the UK.
	(9) Nil on passengers travelling on flights leaving airports in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Tax and Excise Duty

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average proportion of the purchase price of a bottle of whisky that is accounted for by tax and excise duty.

Paul Boateng: The information requested is contained in the HM Customs and Excise "Spirits Factsheet", a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Tax and Excise Duty

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average proportion of the purchase price of a litre of unleaded petrol that is accounted for by tax and excise duty.

Paul Boateng: The information requested is contained in the HM Customs and Excise "Hydrocarbon Oils Factsheet", a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Tax and Excise Duty

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the revenue to the Exchequer was in each of the last four years from tax and excise duty on (a) alcohol, (b) tobacco and (c) fuel.

Paul Boateng: Receipts of excise duty on alcohol, tobacco and fuel for the financial years 1997–98 to 1999–2000 are published in Table A1 of the tables and Statistics accompanying the Customs and Excise Annual Report for 2000, available on the Customs and Excise website. (Address: www.hmce.gov.uk/general/about/ index.htm—scroll down to 'Annual Report 2000', click on 'Tables and Statistics'.)
	Details for the year 2000–01 can be found in the National Statistics Publication "Financial Statistics" Table 2.1D.
	No official figures exist for receipts of VAT on alcohol, tobacco and fuel.

X-ray Equipment

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance is issued to officers of HM Customs and Excise on the use of bulk X-ray equipment.

Paul Boateng: Under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 a risk assessment is required before any X-ray source is used. The Defence Science Technology Laboratories Radiation Protection Service is Customs' Radiation Protection Advisor for the freight X-ray scanner project and they prepare each risk assessment. Each risk assessment is site and machine specific and includes local rules for setting up the scanner, operating practices and safety procedures. The risk assessment is kept with the scanner for production, as required, to any Health and Safety Executive Inspector or any other person.

Alcohol Smuggling

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people entering the UK were questioned by HM Customs and Excise in each of the last five years on suspicion of alcohol smuggling; how many were carrying more alcohol than the suggested guidelines for imports for personal use; and how many of these were allowed to enter the country on the grounds that the alcohol was for personal use.

Paul Boateng: This information is not available in the format requested.
	Customs carefully target their anti-smuggling activity on those thought likely to be smuggling, and have no interest in legitimate cross-border shoppers. Accordingly only a very small proportion of the 90 million travellers who enter the UK each year are stopped by customs officers. Indeed, in 2000–01 less than 0.2 per cent. of the estimated 14 million travellers through the channel ports had goods seized by customs. The majority of people entering the UK with goods in excess of the minimum indicative levels were able to satisfy customs that the goods were for their own personal use.

Amateur Sports Clubs

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce his policy on charitable status for community amateur sports clubs.

Paul Boateng: On 30 November 2001 the Charity Commission announced its decision to recognise as charitable:
	"the promotion of community participation in healthy recreation" which now enables community amateur sports clubs (CASCs) to apply to become charities.

Trader Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost to public funds of value-added tax missing trader fraud in each of the last four years.

Paul Boateng: I refer the hon. Gentleman to page 19 of the Customs and Excise paper "Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud" that was published on 27 November 2001 and a copy of which is in the Library of the House. This gives fraud estimates for 1999–2000 and 2000–01. There are no estimates for any earlier years.

Trade Balance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the balance of trade in (a) food products and (b) meat products for the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	The table shows the value of UK trade in total food, feed and drink (including meat and meat preparations) between October 2000 and September 2001.
	
		£ million 
		
			  Imports Exports 
		
		
			 Meat and meat preparations 2,727 491 
			 Dairy products and eggs 1,282 620 
			 Fish and fish preparations 1,404 747 
			 Cereals and cereal preparations 1,216 1,214 
			 Fruit and vegetables 4,230 413 
			 Sugar, sugar preparations and honey 779 362 
			 Coffee, tea, cocoa and spices 1,103 605 
			 Feedingstuffs for animals 775 298 
			 Miscellaneous edible products 838 604 
			 Alcoholic drinks 2,845 3,218 
			 Oil seeds, oleaginous fruits, oils, fats and waxes 836 153 
			  
			 Total 18,034 8,724 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are given on the 'Overseas Trade' basis. Exports are valued 'free on board' and imports are valued 'cost insurance freight'. Thus for imports into the UK, the cost of transportation between the port or place of despatch and the port of entry into the UK is included and as a result of the value of imports are overstated relative to exports by about 5 per cent.
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disability Living Allowance

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 539W, on winter fuel allowance, 
	(1)  by what factors and measures the (a) care and (b) mobility components of disability living allowance (i) were first and (ii) are calculated;
	(2)  what calculations have been made to ensure that (a) nursing, (b) dressing, (c) essential provision purchasing, (d) domestic cleaning, (e) personal hygiene and (f) heating costs are properly reflected in the amounts claimable for those receiving lower, middle and higher rates of disability living allowance.

Ian McCartney: Disability living allowance provides a contribution towards the generality of extra costs faced by severely disabled people as a result of their disabilities. The amounts payable are not based on calculations of the costs of specific items, and recipients are free to spend the benefit according to their own priorities and requirements.
	When the allowance was introduced in 1992, the highest and middle care components were set at the same weekly amounts as the higher and lower rates of attendance allowance, and the higher mobility component was set at the same weekly amount as the mobility allowance which it replaced. This was because the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' major surveys of disabled people in Great Britain in the 1980s had found that those allowances were well directed towards the most common costly disabilities, and were more than sufficient to cover disability-related expenditure in most cases. For less severely disabled people, the lowest care component and the lower mobility component were set above the average weekly amount of disability-related expenditure found by the disability surveys. Since 1992, all components have been uprated annually in line with the movement in prices.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid in compensation in each year since 1997 as a result of cases related to his Department decided by the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Nick Brown: Comprehensive details of financial redress paid in cases where the Ombudsman has completed an investigation and issued a formal report are not held centrally. However, the following information has been extracted from such records as are available. Details for previous years are for the then DSS.
	These figures exclude cases where a statutory resolution has been found.
	
		
			 Year Amount paid 
		
		
			 1997–98 (10)— 
			 1998–99 442,363 
			 1999–2000 173,896 
			 2000–01 191,060 
			 2001–02 (11)66,435 
		
	
	(10) No figures are available
	(11) Payments authorised between 1 April and 31 October 2001
	The sums quoted are the total sums paid in cases investigated by the Ombudsman. Some of those payments were made prior to the Ombudsman's intervention under the Department's standing scheme for financial redress.

Random Assignment Evaluation

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how he intends to ensure informed consent to participation in random assignment for those with (a) learning disabilities and (b) mental health problems;
	(2)  for what reasons the random assignment evaluation was delayed until six months into the national extension of New Deal for Disabled People; and for what reasons this evaluation was not conducted during the pilot programmes;
	(3)  what advice he has given to job brokers about recruitment to the New Deal for Disabled People during the random assignment evaluation period; how job brokers' presentation of the random assignment research will be monitored; and how long volunteers to the New Deal for Disabled People will have to wait before they are told whether they are part of the control group for the random assignment evaluation;
	(4)  what responses were received from (a) job brokers and (b) other interested parties about the random assignment evaluation.

Nick Brown: The new Jobcentre Plus service pathfinder offices opened in October and will be rolled out nationally from April 2002. As a result of the decision that this service would include mandatory work-focused meetings for new customers making claims to incapacity benefit, which would be a gateway for NDDP, it is no longer appropriate for random assignment to be used as one of the evaluation tools. We have therefore abandoned plans for its use. We are now reviewing options for alternative approaches.

Random Assignment Evaluation

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the study "A Review of the Use of Random Assignment" will be completed; and if he will place it in the Library.

Nick Brown: It is currently anticipated that the study called "A review of the use of social experiments" will be published in February 2002. This study covers random assignment methods. A copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Pension Service

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement about the siting of the Phase 2 Pension Service locations.

Ian McCartney: In my written answer on 4 July 2001, Official Report, column 195W, I announced plans for the new Pension Service and explained that it will offer a local service working in partnership with local authorities and voluntary organisations. To support the local service network, we will bring together the backroom processing in 26 locations rather than over 400 at present, allowing frontline staff to concentrate on dealing with customers.
	At that time I also announced 19 of the first phase pension centre locations.
	I am now pleased to announce that six additional new centres for the Pension Service have been secured in the Dearne Valley, Derby, Motherwell, Seaham, Stockport and York. In addition one of our existing social security offices in Norwich will become a pension centre.

Jobcentre Plus

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the Jobcentre Plus computer system; and when he expects it to be fully operational in the new offices;
	(2)  what plans he has to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff have access to a single computer system that will allow the linking of data from Benefits Agency and Employment Service sources; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answers 12 and 13 November 2001
	The information technology systems being used in the Jobcentre Plus pathfinders are based on the systems currently in use in the Benefits Agency and Employment Service, with enhancements to enable the Jobcentre Plus process to be carried out. All of these systems are currently operational.
	We are investing in order to upgrade and replace the Department's outdated computer systems. We want to ensure that all people, including those who use Jobcentre Plus, can receive a modern service. The new and improved IT we are developing will allow us to capture the necessary information from people face-to-face or over the telephone, instead of getting them to fill in multiple benefit claim forms. And we will be able to offer on-the-spot calculations of by how much a person would be better off if they took a particular job. We will be replacing the main income support and jobseeker's allowance benefit processing systems and modernising the payment system so as to improve the efficiency of the service we provide.

Public Service Agreement Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the public service and service delivery agreements developed in the corporate serving directorate of his Department in 2000–01;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for access to funded second pensions;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on progress since the publication of the Departmental report 2001 towards the public service agreement target for the payment by the Department for goods and services;
	(4)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the completion of a new assessment of liability to pay child support maintenance;
	(5)  if he will make a statement on the public service agreement target for the ratio of in-work income from earnings and benefits to out-of-work benefits in 2001–02;
	(6)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the delivery of the new deals for the unemployed lone parents and disabled people;
	(7)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the level of compliance by absent parents with agreed child support arrangements;
	(8)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for investment in modernisation;
	(9)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for minimising the regulatory burden on employers in respect of pension and child support arrangements;
	(10)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the provision of an electronic claiming facility for benefit claimants;
	(11)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target of achieving an accuracy rate for assessments and reviews in child support cases of not less than 90 per cent;
	(12)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the achievement of an annual efficiency gain;
	(13)  if he will make a statement on performance in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 against the public service agreement target for average pensioner income as a percentage of average earnings;
	(14)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing the average cost of processing retirement pension claims;
	(15)  if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for reducing losses from fraud and error;
	(16)  if he will make a statement on the progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for the percentage of Benefits Agency customers whose benefits are paid into their bank accounts;
	(17)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction of the number of children in households with no-one in work;
	(18)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing the number of children in poverty by at least a quarter by 2004;
	(19)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction of sickness absence rates by 2003;
	(20)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the development of better measures of efficiency;
	(21)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for access for disabled people with broken work records to second pensions;
	(22)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction by March 2002 of benefit losses from fraud and error;
	(23)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for increasing the collection of maintenance from non-resident parents who pay the CSA's collection service;
	(24)  if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for the reduction of the average cost of processing minimum income guarantee claims and the maintenance of the caseload;
	(25)  if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for value for money;
	(26)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the percentage of departmental business transactions to be carried out electronically;
	(27)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the provision of pension forecasts by employers and pension providers;
	(28)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the establishment of payment arrangements in child support cases;
	(29)  if the Benefits Agency met its target to contribute to the reduction in public sector sickness by reducing absences by 10 per cent. from 1998 public service agreement baseline levels;
	(30)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the control of central costs and overheads;
	(31)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for changing the ratio of public expenditure to private expenditure on pensions;
	(32)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the roll-out of new IT equipment to staff of the Benefits Agency and the Child Support Agency;
	(33)  if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for reducing by 2002 the number of lone parents dependent on income support;
	(34)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction of the amount of money that is incorrectly paid in minimum income guarantee;
	(35)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the modernisation of service delivery;
	(36)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for increasing employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups;
	(37)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the speed and extent of access to occupational health and rehabilitation services;
	(38)  if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the transition into work and reduction of dependence on benefits of people with disabilities.

Nick Brown: The 2001 departmental report, Cm 5115, sets out our progress against the public service targets. The 2002 report will set out our progress in the current financial year.

Housing Benefit Help Team

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  in which local authorities the housing benefit help team has intervened since its creation; and when;
	(2)  how many repeat visits the housing benefit help team has made to individual local authorities; and to which ones;
	(3)  how long the housing benefit help team has spent with each local authority housing benefit office.

Malcolm Wicks: The help team initiative is a voluntary partnership between central and local government. The team only visits local authorities which request its assistance, and works with these authorities to identify ways of improving their housing benefit administration.
	The help team's visits started on 12 March 2001 and to date the team has visited Hull during March and April; Bristol during May and June; Lambeth during July and August; Northampton during August; Derwentside during September and October; and East Ayrshire during October and November. The team spent around four to five weeks at each local authority, apart from Northampton, where the visit lasted around two weeks.
	At the conclusion of an initial visit, arrangements can be made for the help team to remain in contact by telephone and give informal advice, or for members of the team to undertake short return visits. Such return visits have taken place at Hull, Bristol and Lambeth, and one is planned for Northampton in mid-December.

Housing Benefit Help Team

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the cost in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 of the Expert Help Team set up to assist in the improvement of housing benefit delivery.

Malcolm Wicks: Separate figures are not available for 2000–01 as the help team visits did not start until March 2001. The total forecast costs for the project until March 2002 are £970,000.

Integrated Inquiry Service

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place the report he has received from Affinity on the Integrated Inquiry Service in the Library.

Nick Brown: Reports provided to the Department by Affinity are restricted by a statement of confidentiality. Affinity have not consented to their reports on the Integrated Inquiry Service being placed in the Library.

Parliamentary Questions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer (a) questions 10435 and 10434, on the Child Support Agency, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 23 October, (b) questions 14034 and 14299, on the Jobcentre Plus computer systems, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 7 and 8 November, and (c) question 14298, on post-11 September security measures in benefit offices, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 8 November.

Nick Brown: Questions 10435 and 10434 were answered on 10 December 2001, Official Report, columns 610-11W and questions 14034, 14299 and 14298 were answered today, Official Report, columns 776-77W.

State Pension (Hospital Stays)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the practice of docking state pensions as a result of a hospital stay of more than six weeks; what representations he has received on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Department in conjunction with the Department of Health, is looking at issues affecting hospital in-patients, including the rules governing the downrating of benefits.

Child Support Agency

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints his Department has received in each of the last five years from members of the public in respect of the work of the Child Support Agency.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Norman Lamb, dated 7 December 2001
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
	You asked how many complaints the Department has received in each of the last five years from members of the public in respect of the work of the Child Support Agency.
	My records show that the following number of complaints were received about our work—for completeness I also show our caseload as at the end of each year.
	
		
			 Year Number of complaints Caseload 
		
		
			 1996–97 23,588 579,200 
			 1997–98 27,875 758,580 
			 1998–99 28,073 923,960 
			 1999–2000 21,159 1,030,100 
			 2000–01 19,634 1,048,920 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful.

Pension Credit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how he will identify eligible recipients for the pension credit who are above state pension age; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Pensioners who already receive the minimum income guarantee (MIG) will not have to make an application. They will automatically receive pension credit. For other pensioners who become eligible for pension credit as a result of the more generous rules, we are building on lessons learned from other recent initiatives. We will ensure our communications to pensioners are closely targeted and designed to help them to understand their entitlements.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Housebuilding (Floodplains)

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he has taken to ensure that local planning authorities follow Government guidelines regarding housebuilding on floodplains; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: The Government are continuing to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the new Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 25 through the high-level targets published by the then Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in November 1999. The reports for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 provide a baseline for the situation before PPG 25 was published. We are also looking with the Environment Agency at monitoring PPG 25 through data on planning applications and land-use change statistics. We are committed to a general review of the guidance three years after publication in the light of emerging experience of its use and of developing information on climate change.
	Should there be substantive evidence that the guidance is not being followed, we would consider the introduction of a flooding Direction requiring local planning authorities to refer to the Secretary of State applications they are minded to permit in the face of sustained objections from the Environment Agency.

Housebuilding (Floodplains)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the amount of brownfield land available for development which is located in areas susceptible to flooding.

Sally Keeble: Information on previously developed land in England in areas susceptible to flooding was included in the Supplementary memorandum by the Minister for Housing and Planning to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee, published in Volume II of their Second Report for Session 2000–01, "Development on, or affecting the floodplain".
	Based on sites reported by responding local authorities, the estimated total area of previously developed land suitable for housing in England was at least 22,210Ha, of which 2,960Ha (13 per cent.) were within areas of flood risk identified on the 1999 indicative floodplain maps produced by the Environment Agency.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which advisers were present at the meeting convened by his Department on 13 September to discuss Railtrack.

Stephen Byers: Details are contained in the documents placed in the Library on 23 October.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how much money the administrator of Railtrack has said will be required for renewals, maintenance and operating expenses for Control Period 2 of 2001 to 2006;
	(2)  how much was the Railtrack administrator's most recent estimate of the network's infrastructure investment needs in Control Period 2 of 2001 to 2006;

David Jamieson: The administrator is currently reviewing Railtrack's expenditure needs.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many contracts for (a) lawyers, (b) accountants, and (c) consultants have been (i) let and (ii) advertised since 5 October on matters related to (A) Railtrack and (B) railway policy by (1) his Department, (2) the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and (3) Railtrack in Administration.

John Spellar: My Department is in the process of letting three contracts since 5 October, to provide financial, legal and technical advice to the team being assembled to develop proposals for a company limited by guarantee. The SRA let or advertised none. Railtrack's contracts are a matter for them.

Railtrack

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the Railtrack pension fund was in surplus or deficit and by how much immediately prior to Railtrack administration.

David Jamieson: The Railtrack Shared Cost Section is a section of the Railways Pension Scheme. The most recent valuation for funding purposes was carried out by the actuary as at 31 December 1998. The results of the valuation showed that at 31 December 1998 the actuarial value of the assets of the Railtrack section was £867.2 million, liabilities and reserves totalled £804.3 million, leaving a surplus of £62.9 million. The funding level of the Railtrack section was 108 per cent. After a package of benefit improvements the section funding was 102 per cent. The next valuation is due as at 31 December 2001, with the results expected at the end of 2002.

Railtrack

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the morale of Railtrack employees.

David Jamieson: There are many dedicated, efficient and effective people at Railtrack committed to the rail network. Both we and the Administrator attach great importance to maintaining staff morale. We support the work being done by the Administrator with Railtrack's management to achieve this.

Railtrack

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what representations he has received from (a) individuals, (b) non-governmental organisations and (c) companies regarding the feasibility of Railtrack plc operating as a company limited by guarantee (i) prior to and (ii) after Railtrack plc was placed into administration; and if he will place copies of the documentation in the Library;
	(2)  what assessments have been conducted (a) by his Department, (b) by other Departments and (c) by other organisations for his Department to study the feasibility of Railtrack plc operating as a company limited by guarantee (i) prior to and (ii) after Railtrack plc was placed into administration; and if he will place copies of the documentation in the Library;
	(3)  if he will list the documents on which he consulted (a) prior to and (b) after Railtrack plc was placed into administration when considering which alternative model for Railtrack plc to put forward to the Railway Administrator; and if he will place the documents in the Library.

David Jamieson: The outline of a proposal for a company limited by guarantee (CLG) has been developed by Government and their advisers. The proposal is soundly based and reflects lessons learned as a result of the failures of the existing regime. The CLG model is tried and tested elsewhere. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not consulted on the CLG proposal either prior to or since Railtrack plc was placed into administration. It will be for the CLG bid team, currently being established under the leadership of Ian McAllister, to develop a robust proposal and to consult as it sees fit. The views of rail industry stakeholders and others will be important in developing the bid.

Railtrack

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the (a) length and (b) proportion of track not meeting the minimum required standard for each month between January 2000 and November 2001 (i) in total, (ii) subdivided by zonal area and (iii) subdivided by train operating company area.

David Jamieson: Railtrack advise that they do not hold information to this level of detail.

Railtrack

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had regarding the possible safety implications of (a) the Administration and (b) a possible successor organisation to Railtrack with (i) the Health and Safety Executive, (ii) the Health and Safety Commission, (iii) HMRI, (iv) Lord Cullen and (v) others.

David Jamieson: My Department and the Administrators have consulted fully with the Health and Safety Executive on all safety matters.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what requests he has received for funding additional to those detailed in section 2 of the commercial loan agreement with the Railtrack administrator, as provided for in those clauses.

David Jamieson: No additional monies have been requested beyond the initial amount of the loan agreement.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what benchmarks are used to assess budget variations in section 8.1.6 (a) of the commercial loan agreement with the Railtrack administrator.

David Jamieson: The management accounts required under section 8.1.6 (a) of the commercial loan agreement, are prepared by Railtrack plc and represent actual results. These are compared to the budgeted results for the same period. Railtrack plc provides a commentary explaining the major variances between the budget and actual results.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what management accounts have been supplied by the Railtrack administrator under section 8.1.6 (a) of the commercial loan agreement.

David Jamieson: Two sets of management accounts have been received.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial forecasts have been made by the Railtrack administrator under the terms of section 8.1.6 (f) of the commercial loan agreement.

David Jamieson: There is no such requirement on the administrator.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what rate of interest is being received by the Government under section 4.2 of the commercial loan agreement with the Railtrack administrator.

David Jamieson: The rate of interest will be calculated by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 4.2 of the loan agreement and will be paid to him, and at a date determined by him, in accordance with the said agreement.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much money has been made available as (a) cash, (b) loan and (c) guarantee to Railtrack in administration.

John Spellar: holding answer 10 December 2001
	£1,222,734,244 under the trust facility outlined in sections 2.1 and 2.2 of the commercial loan agreement.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action has been taken to ensure high safety standards by Railtrack in administration.

John Spellar: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The Health and Safety Executive is working closely with both Railtrack plc and the administrator to ensure that safety in the railways is maintained. The administrator has recruited the HSE's former Deputy Chief Inspector of Railways to ensure technical issues are properly considered.
	On 8 October, the HSE issued a formal Direction to Railtrack plc, as holders of an accepted railway safety case, to prepare and submit a revision to the safety case in the light of the changed organisational and administrative arrangements. The HSE also summarised for Railtrack plc, and brought to the attention of the administrator, the key continuing responsibilities of Railtrack plc's management under its safety case. HSE recently confirmed acceptance of Railtrack's revised safety case.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what reports he receives from Railtrack in administration concerning (a) finance and (b) safety; and how often he receives reports.

John Spellar: holding answer 10 December 2001
	To date the Secretary of State has received nine weekly reports and two four-weekly management reports. Safety regulation is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of track are subject to speed restrictions pending repair or renewal; and how many speed restrictions are in place on the network.

John Spellar: holding answer 10 December 2001
	Railtrack reports that the number of temporary speed restrictions in place across its network in Great Britain as at Monday 3 December 2001 were 650.315 miles of track subject to speed restrictions pending repair or renewal.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the turnover of London Underground staff has been in each of the past six years.

David Jamieson: This is an operational matter for LUL who have provided the following advice:
	
		
			 Year Percentage turnover 
		
		
			 1997 7 
			 1998 6.7 
			 1999 6.4 
			 2000 6.4 
			 2001 7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are by calendar year.
	2. Reliable data are not available pre 1997.
	3. Turnover excludes those who retired, left on TUPE grounds, left on voluntary redundancy/severance terms or reached the end of contract.
	4. Figures for 2001 are to the end of November and exclude the infrastructure companies.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how frequently London Underground carries out detailed surveys of its track; and if he will make a statement on the most recent survey.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 561W.
	London Underground acknowledges that its track needs major investment. The age and quality of the track requires intensive maintenance and/or the imposition of speed restrictions to enable services to run safely. With limited resources for investment, London Underground has had to prioritise the level of track renewals to ensure that the overall conditions do not deteriorate further. However, once London Underground's tube modernisation plans are in place, the investment backlog will be tackled and the standard and condition of the track will be improved significantly.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the register of assets held by London Underground.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 560W.

Rents (Barnet)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many properties in Barnet will not reach the formula rent cap level for the unit size for (a) registered social landlords and (b) council tenants by 2011.

Sally Keeble: The information is not available. I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him on 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 562W.

Rents (Barnet)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many households in Barnet in (a) registered social landlord and (b) local authority accommodation will have formula rents at the appropriate cap level for their size in 2011.

Sally Keeble: The information is currently not available. In particular, the rate of increase of actual registered social landlord and local authority rents over the next 10 years will depend, among other things, on the outcome of future Spending Reviews (for local authority rents) and periodic reviews by the Housing Corporation (for registered social landlord rents). Moreover, individual landlords retain responsibility for rent-setting.

Polling Booths (Disabled Access)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to ensure that all polling booths are accessible to people with physical disabilities.

Alan Whitehead: The SCOPE report 'Polls Apart' on the June general election concluded that there had been some improvements on polling station accessibility, but that more needs to be done. In the light of this we will continue to work, with the Electoral Commission, to secure further improvements on polling station accessibility.

Absence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in each of the last four years.

Alan Whitehead: As the Department has only existed since 8 June 2001 it is not possible to reply in the form requested.

Train Operating Companies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent research his Department has (a) conducted, (b) commissioned and (c) made reference to with regard to the future financial viability of train operating companies.

David Jamieson: My Department conducted a study of the financial needs of all parts of the railway industry to inform the development of the 10 Year Plan and the last Spending Review. Two recent research studies were commissioned by the Department to assess Eurostar's passenger number and revenue forecasts and Freightliner's application for Track Access Grant. The Department has had regard to advice from the Strategic Rail Authority which receives monthly financial reports from train operating companies and monitors the financial position of their parent companies on a regular basis. When awarding new franchises the SRA makes assessments of bidders' financial standing.

Railway Inspectorate

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many staff worked within his Department's Railway Inspectorate in each month since June 1997; and what changes in the number of staff within the inspectorate are planned.

David Jamieson: The Railway Inspectorate is part of the Health and Safety Executive. Monthly staffing figures for the Railway Inspectorate are not available. Yearly staffing figures for the Railway Inspectorate since 1997 are:
	
		Total number of staff (administrative and inspectors)(12)
		
			 Date Number 
		
		
			 31 March 1997 85 
			 31 March 1998 88 
			 31 March 1999 98 
			 31 March 2000 108 
			 31 March 2001 145 
			 30 November 2001 161 
		
	
	(12) The above figures represent staff in post on the given date. They do not include additional staff employed to fill posts on an ad hoc basis (currently 20 staff).
	The staff allocation for the Railway Inspectorate to March 2002 is 210.

Signal Failures

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many reported signal failures there were on the railway infrastructure controlled by Railtrack for each month from January 2000 to November 2001.

David Jamieson: Railtrack compile figures for four-week periods rather than monthly. The reported signal failures on the railway infrastructure controlled by Railtrack for each four-week period from January 2000 to the latest date for which figures are available show:
	
		
			 Year/period Period Number of signal failures causing delays of more than 10 minutes 
		
		
			 2000–01   
			 1  1,747 
			 2 2 1,958 
			 3 3 2,077 
			 4 4 1,810 
			 5 5 1,760 
			 6 6 1,829 
			 7 7 1,764 
			 8 8 1,788 
			 9 9 1,970 
			 10 10 2,213 
			 11 11 1,959 
			 12 12 2,098 
			 13 13 2,006 
			
			 2001–02   
			 1  1,910 
			 2 2 2,614 
			 3 3 2,089 
			 4 4 2,559 
			 5 5 2,339 
			 6 6 1,855 
			 7 7 1,999 
			 8 8 2,260

Railway Management

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received regarding (a) the merger of and (b) closer co-operation between the Strategic Rail Authority and the Rail Regulator.

David Jamieson: We are considering how the regulatory framework can be streamlined, and my officials have had informal discussions with some industry players. A number of suggestions have been put forward.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will give details of the progress made in respect of each recommendation made by the Health and Safety Commission in its agreed action plan of August 2000 since its further progress report of February.

David Jamieson: The Health and Safety Commission published progress reports on its action plan to implement the recommendations of the Southall Rail Accident Inquiry Report in August 2000 and February 2001. No further reports are required from rail industry stakeholders until the end of the implementation period in February 2002.

Housing (Portsmouth)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) private rented units, (b) social rented units and (c) owner- occupied units there were in the Greater Portsmouth area in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995 and (iii) 2000.

Sally Keeble: The available information provided by Portsmouth city council on their annual Housing Investment Programme returns is as follows:
	
		Stock of dwellings as at 1 April
		
			   1990 1995 2000 
		
		
			 Social rented dwellings 16,625 16,550 16,491 
			 Private sector dwellings 59,565 61,500 64,006 
			  
			 Total dwellings 76,190 78,050 80,497

Rail Regulator

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to meet the Rail Regulator.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend maintains regular contact with the Rail Regulator.

Road Safety

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what road safety awareness schemes he plans in the next 12 months; and if he will estimate their cost.

David Jamieson: My Department's major effort in the area of raising the awareness of road safety is the "Think!" publicity campaign. My Department launched this campaign in June 2000, with the aim of encouraging all road users to think about their own and others' safety. The generic "Think!" message enables us to link the promotion of a range of specific road safety messages that can help to make our roads safer for all. The campaign also links the promotion of road safety messages by a range of supporters in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The long-term campaign is a key commitment in the 10 year strategy, launched by the Prime Minister in March 2000, for reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent. (and 50 per cent. for children) by the year 2010.
	In the campaign to date we have given priority to addressing those behaviours that are most likely to put road users at risk, eg driving too fast, driving after drinking, driving while tired, passenger seat belt wearing, unsafe child pedestrian behaviour. Over the coming year we shall continue to address safety in these areas, particularly the safety of children. But in addition we shall be preparing a major effort to address the growing number of powered two wheeler casualties (almost one in six of the deaths on our roads last year were riders of these vehicles). The outline programme of forward activity is available on the "Think!" website at www.think.dtlr.gov.uk.
	The estimate of expenditure for the next 12 months is £13 million.

A1

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans his Department has to upgrade the A1.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from David York to John Mann, dated 11 December 2001
	The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, asked Tim Matthews to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A1. I am replying in Tim's absence on official business.
	Current policy is to target improvement schemes at particular problem areas, rather than have a large programme of schemes which are unlikely to be financed within a reasonable timescale.
	For the A1, this means a series of improvement schemes at specific locations aimed at increasing safety and tackling congestion. The lengths between Ferrybridge and Hook Moor, in South and West Yorkshire and Wetherby and Walshford, in North Yorkshire are due to be upgraded to motorway standard as part of a Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract which is currently at tender stage.
	In the East Midlands, the Highways Agency has identified, as part of its Ten Year Plan, a number of major improvements to existing junctions on the A1 between Peterborough and Blyth, in Nottinghamshire. These include the replacement of roundabouts with flyover junctions at Carpenter's Lodge near Stamford, Colsterworth, Gonerby Moor near Grantham, Markham Moor (junction with A57), Apleyhead (A57/A614 junction) and Blyth.
	This project is at an early stage, having only recently entered the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements for trunk roads and it is too early to give a detailed timetable. However, public consultation on options for providing a two level junction at the existing Blyth roundabout is expected to start in the spring of next year, with consultation on options for the other five roundabouts starting later in the summer. Progress thereafter will depend on how quickly the proposals can be taken through the necessary statutory procedures, which involve the publication of Orders and the opportunity for objection. Subject to that, construction of a new junction at Blyth could begin in 2004/05, with the other improvements phased to minimise traffic disruption.
	In addition, three other initiatives have implications for the A1. The length between London and the South Midlands is included as part of a wider ranging "multi modal" study which is examining all transport needs within that corridor. The section between Peterborough and Blyth has been selected for a new approach to the future management of trunk routes.
	Consultants are preparing a 10 year Route Management Strategy for this length which will look at all aspects of its operation, including junctions, laybys, accesses and cross-over gaps. Further assessment work is being undertaken as a result of a safety study on the section between Bramham, West Yorkshire, and Barton, North Yorkshire.
	We shall be writing to you again in more detail as part of the consultation process for the Peterborough to Blyth roundabout scheme but if you would like further information, please contact the Project Sponsor for the scheme, Neil Owen, at the Agency's Birmingham office. He can be contacted at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL or by telephone on 0121 678 8223.

A1

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what further plans he has to improve the A1 motorway.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from David York to John Mann, dated 11 December 2001
	The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, asked Tim Matthews to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A1. I am replying in Tim's absence on official business.
	Current policy is to target improvement schemes at particular problem areas, rather than have a large programme of schemes which are unlikely to be financed within a reasonable timescale.
	For the A1, this means a series of improvement schemes at specific locations aimed at increasing safety and tackling congestion. The lengths between Ferrybridge and Hook Moor, in South and West Yorkshire and Wetherby and Walshford, in North Yorkshire are due to be upgraded to motorway standard as part of a Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract which is currently at tender stage.
	In the East Midlands, the Highways Agency has identified, as part of its Ten Year Plan, a number of major improvements to existing junctions on the A1 between Peterborough and Blyth, in Nottinghamshire. These include the replacement of roundabouts with flyover junctions at Carpenter's Lodge near Stamford, Colsterworth, Gonerby Moor near Grantham, Markham Moor (junction with A57), Apleyhead (A57/A614 junction) and Blyth.
	This project is at an early stage, having only recently entered the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements for trunk roads and it is too early to give a detailed timetable. However, public consultation on options for providing a two level junction at the existing Blyth roundabout is expected to start in the spring of next year, with consultation on options for the other five roundabouts starting later in the summer. Progress therefore will depend on how quickly the proposals can be taken through the necessary statutory procedures, which involve the publication of Orders and the opportunity for objection. Subject to that, construction of a new junction at Blyth could begin in 2004/05, with the other improvements phased to minimise traffic disruption.
	In addition, three other initiatives have implications for the A1. The length between London and the South Midlands is included as part of a wider ranging "multi modal" study which is examining all transport needs within that corridor. The section between Peterborough and Blyth has been selected for a new approach to the future management of trunk routes. Consultants are preparing a 10 year Route Management Strategy for this length which will look at all aspects of its operation, including junctions, laybys, accesses and cross-over gaps. Further assessment work is being undertaken as a result of a safety study on the section between Bramham, West Yorkshire, and Barton, North Yorkshire.
	We shall be writing to you again in more detail as part of the consultation process for the Peterborough to Blyth roundabout scheme but if you would like further information, please contact the Project Sponsor for the scheme, Neil Owen, at the Agency's Birmingham office. He can be contacted at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL or by telephone on 0121 678 8223.

Unitary Authorities

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what was the average cost associated with (a) job losses, (b) removal costs, (c) informing the resident population of the change, (d) changes to records, (e) administration costs and (f) election costs incurred by the establishment of the new unitary authorities in 1996;
	(2)  what responsibility (a) local and (b) central Government have for the costs associated with changes in (i) finance structure and (ii) administration structure when setting up a new unitary authority.

Alan Whitehead: These costs were met by the local authorities concerned and this information is not held centrally. The Government expected local authorities being reorganised to take the opportunity to cut costs and improve efficiency. So supplementary credit approvals (SCAs) were given for authorities to borrow money to meet the one-off indirect costs of reorganisation until the savings and receipts arising from the process were realised. The SCAs provide a rough proxy for the transitional cost of reorganisation, though they do not necessarily capture all local authorities' expenditure. The total for the 1995–96 authorities was £143.8 million.

Unitary Authorities

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how many unitary authorities are buying in services from neighbouring authorities; and what the net effect is on expenditure for each authority of this action;
	(2)  what research has been commissioned investigating the cost saving benefits of unitary authorities buying in essential services from neighbouring authorities; and if he will publish the results.

Alan Whitehead: The Government do not collect any local authority trading information centrally.
	However, we recently commissioned research for the Byatt Review of Local Government procurement which showed that 42 per cent. of authorities overall have joint contract arrangements with other authorities, that is 98 authorities. 17 of the 30 unitary authorities responding to this question have joint arrangements with other local authorities. Many of these joint arrangements are facilitated through buying consortia.
	We believe that a truly mixed economy of service provision is the best way to ensure genuine innovation and true competition. We want to see partnerships that are public-public, public-voluntary and public-private. This could involve the best in-house providers using their expertise in wider markets within the public service.
	We envisage laying orders before Parliament in the new year to allow local authorities to be able to use the new trading powers proposed in the consultation paper "Working With Others To Achieve Best Value".

Unitary Authorities

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the total amount of Government funding to the unitary authority of Torbay since its creation.

Alan Whitehead: Torbay unitary authority has reported the following government funding:
	
		Revenue grants paid into general fund revenue account (GFRA) and capital grants -- £000
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
			  Outturn Outturn Outturn Budget 
		
		
			 Specific grants inside AEF 4,215 3,880 (13)11,597 10,664 
			 Revenue support grant 45,489 46,700 46,209 48,886 
			 Redistributed non-domestic rates 29,087 31,366 35,416 34,910 
			  
			 Revenue grants paid into GFRA 78,791 81,946 93,222 94,460 
			 Capital grants 1,159 1,670 (13)5,798 1,682 
			  
			 Total 79,950 83,616 99,020 96,142 
		
	
	(13) Includes extra funds to support a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project.

Local Government Commission

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the members of the Local Government Commission from its inception to the present date.

Alan Whitehead: The current members are:
	Professor Malcolm Grant (Chairman)
	Professor Michael Clarke CBE (Deputy Chairman)
	Peter Brokenshire
	Kru Desai
	Pamela Gordon
	Robin Gray
	Robert Hughes CBE.
	The past members are:
	David Ansbro
	Sir John Banham (Chairman)
	Professor Michael Chisholm
	Christopher Chope, MP OBE
	Sir David Cooksey (Chairman)
	Sir Kenneth Couzens KCB
	Ken Ennals CB
	Brian Hill CBE DL
	Margaret Hodge, MP MBE
	Howell Harris Hughes
	Mary Leigh
	Ann Levick
	Bob Scruton
	Dame Helena Shovelton
	David Thomas OBE
	Lord Norman Warner
	Lady Judith Wilcox
	Clive Wilkinson.
	Note:
	Margaret Hodge and Christopher Chope were not MPs when serving on the Commission.

Local Government Commission

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will list the factors taken into consideration by the Local Government Commission when conducting a structural review of an existing unitary authority;
	(2)  what procedures are followed when he directs the Local Government Commission to undertake a structural review into an existing unitary authority.

Alan Whitehead: The factors and procedures to be considered in a structure review are those specified in Part II of the Local Government Act 1992. Under that Act, a structural review is a review as to whether unitary local government should be created, and hence such a review of an existing unitary authority is not possible.

Local Government Commission

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what basis he will ask the Local Government Commission to undertake a structural review of an existing local authority.

Alan Whitehead: We have no plans to ask the Local Government Commission to undertake a structural review of an existing local authority. The functions of the LGC are to be transferred to the Electoral Commission on 1 April 2002.

Local Government Commission

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the research supporting the decision to amalgamate the Local Government Commission into the Electoral Commission; and what the effect of this change will be in terms of (a) change-over cost, (b) administration costs, (c) employment and (d) responsibilities for structural and electoral reform.

Alan Whitehead: The White Paper "The Funding of Political Parties in the United Kingdom. The Government's proposals for legislation in response to the Fifth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life" (Cm4413) proposed the amalgamation, building on the Financial Management and Policy Review of the Local Government Commission which was placed in the Library of the House on 1 July 1998, Official Report, column 192W.
	All the staff, with the exception of the Chief Executive, are to be transferred to the Electoral Commission under their existing terms and conditions. The principal transitional cost is that of securing accommodation for all staff on a single site—to achieve long term operational efficiency—for which provision of up to £700,000 has been made available.
	The responsibility for implementing structural reform (on the advice of the Electoral Commission) remains with the Secretary of State. The responsibility for implementing electoral arrangements—the number and boundaries of electoral areas and the number of councillors—will become the responsibility of the Electoral Commission with effect from 1 April 2002. Other electoral reform issues remain with the Secretary of State but the Electoral Commission has a remit to keep under review electoral law and practice and to promote public awareness of the electoral process.

Local Government Commission

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list (a) biographical details, (b) professional qualifications, (c) political affiliations and (d) salary, pensions and benefits of the members of the Local Government Commission.

Alan Whitehead: The Chairman is Professor Malcolm Grant LLD, Professor of Land Economy at Cambridge University and a Professorial Fellow of Clare College. He is the Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Planning Law and Practice, the Joint Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Environmental Law, and the author of several books on planning law, environmental protection and local government finance law. He is chairman of the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission and the Independent Member of the Greater London Authority's Standards Committee. Salary £20,775.
	The Deputy Chairman is Professor Michael Clarke CBE, Pro Vice Chancellor of Birmingham University, and Professor and Head of the School of Public Policy. He served as Chief Executive of the Local Government Management Board and prior to that Director of the Local Government Training Board and has published a number of books and articles on local government. Salary £5,805.
	Peter Brokenshire is currently Chairman of Redbridge and Waltham Forest Family Health Services Authority. He has also served as a Director and latterly Acting Controller of the Audit Commission. His main career has been in local government, where his experience has included being Chief Executive of the London Borough of Greenwich and of Epping Forest District Council. Salary £5,805.
	Robin Gray is a former civil servant who has spent most of his career in the Department for the Environment. He was seconded to West Sussex County Council in the 1980s and also served as Secretary to the London and Metropolitan Government Staff Commission. He is a member of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England. He has been a freelance management consultant since 1992. Salary £5,805.
	Pamela Gordon has spent 40 years in local government service. She was an Assistant Director-General with the Greater London Council before becoming Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hackney and then, for nearly eight years, Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council. She was President of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives in 1996–97. She is Governor of Sheffield Hallam University. She was Special Adviser to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Local Government (Organisations and Standards) Bill 1999. She has recently been appointed as an Electoral Commissioner. Salary £5,805.
	Robert Hughes CBE, FCIS was, until his retirement, Chief Executive of Kirklees Metropolitan Council. Before that he was Chief Executive of Great Grimsby Borough Council. He was President of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers during 1997–98. He was formerly an adviser to both the Local Government Association and the Association of Metropolitan Authorities. He is Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board. Salary £5,805.
	Kru Desai is a Principal Consultant at KPMG. Before moving to KPMG in November 1993 she worked for Westminster City Council in a number of policy development and implementation roles, in particular the development and co-ordination of Westminster's outsourcing programme. She is also a governor of Malory School in Lewisham. Salary £5,805.
	None of the Commissioners has any political affiliations, given the nature of their role.
	Pensions will be based on final pensionable salary and the length of pensionable service. Full details are included in the Annual Report and Accounts of the Local Government Commission which has been laid before Parliament and is available in the Library.

Local Government Structure

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what powers he has to change the local government structure in England and Wales; and on what basis he will exercise these powers.

Alan Whitehead: The powers in relation to England are in Part II of the Local Government Act 1992 which provides for the basis on which these powers must be exercised. Matters relating to local government structure in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Local Government Structure

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent research the Government have commissioned on the financing of changes in local government structure; and if he will publish the results.

Alan Whitehead: No such research has been commissioned.

Local Government Structure

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the next round of periodic structural reviews for local authorities in England and Wales will take place.

Alan Whitehead: There are no plans for any periodic structural reviews for local authorities in England. The position in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Local Government Structure

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Government will publish plans to change the local government structure.

Alan Whitehead: As previously announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, we intend to publish a Regional Governance White Paper, and this will set out how we plan to take forward our manifesto commitment that provision should be made for directly elected regional government to go ahead in regions where people decided in a referendum to support it and where predominantly unitary local government is established.

Physical Agents Directive

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the outcome was of the meeting of Coreper on 16 November on the Physical Agents Directive in respect of vibrations.

Alan Whitehead: At the Coreper meeting on 16 November member states confirmed their support for the Council's common position on the Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive and noted that there would be problems in accepting all the amendments proposed by the European Parliament.

Departmental Staff (Home Working)

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to encourage staff to work from home; and how many staff do so on a regular basis.

Alan Whitehead: Following a study of flexible working, a number of pilot implementations, presentations to staff and positive feedback from a staff survey, the DTLR Board gave approval to a project to implement flexible working in DTLR(C) on 22 November 2001. Working at or from home is one option for working flexibly which the Department will support with appropriate furniture and equipment and due regard to compliance with health and safety requirements.
	At present 766 members of staff regularly use the Remote Access Service to dial in DTLR's office automation system when working away from their normal workstation. About 37 per cent. of staff work at home on an informal basis at some point during the course of a year.

Rough Sleepers

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the figures for rough sleeping for each local authority area in England that are available, with the relevant HiP estimates, for each year since 1996 for which figures are available.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The first national estimate of rough sleeping in England, combining information from local authority Housing Investment Programme (HIP) estimates and the results of head counts of people sleeping rough was reported in a written answer to a parliamentary question from my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, South (Margaret Moran) on 19 May 1999, Official Report, column 357W. It provided a national estimate of the number of people sleeping rough on a single night as at June 1998.
	Tables showing the local authority HIP estimates and results of street counts for 1998, 1999, 2000 and the latest figures for 2001 have been placed in the Library. Local authorities not listed in the tables for those years submitted either an estimate of 0–10 or no estimate in their HIP returns.
	Tables showing HIP figures submitted by all local authorities in 1996 and 1997 have also been placed in the Library.

Homeless People

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact central Government action has had on reducing the number of (a) priority homeless and (b) homeless in bed and breakfast accommodation in England since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The figures for households accepted by local authorities as unintentionally homeless and in priority need of accommodation and for those housed in bed and breakfast are as follows:
	
		
			 Quarter ending Priority need acceptances Households in bed and breakfast 
		
		
			 30 June 1997 24,290 4,500 
			 30 June 2001 29,110 11,340 
		
	
	The increase in these figures is not acceptable. These problems are partly the result of inadequate investment in affordable housing before this Government took office. We are taking steps to tackle this, but problems of this scale cannot be turned around overnight.
	We have reversed the last Government's cuts, with this year's capital investment in housing more than double the 1997 level. And, as an on-going part of our commitment to public investment, we are nearly doubling the Housing Corporation's programme for new affordable housing between now and 2003–04.
	These are very substantial measures, and reflect our commitment to tackling homelessness and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live in a decent home. But these measures take time to come to fruition. We have to recognise that they will not solve the current problems at a stroke.
	In response to the growing number of homeless households in bed and breakfast accommodation the Government established a new Bed and Breakfast Unit. Working with local authorities and other stakeholders, the unit is reviewing both central and local policy and practice in order to reduce the use of B&B accommodation. The unit has already held a national conference to discuss targets. The targets will be announced in the new year. My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has also announced that new Action Advice Teams will be available to support LAs in tackling B&B.
	We are also taking through Parliament new homelessness legislation, which will strengthen the safety net for homeless households and place a new duty on local authorities to take a strategic approach to tackling and preventing all forms of homelessness.
	The Government's strategy on rough sleeping has been shown to be successful and, from January, we are establishing a new Homelessness Directorate to bring together and invigorate this existing work to help homeless people as well as develop new work to prevent homelessness and investigate its underlying causes. Any strategy will also continue to help vulnerable people sleeping on the nation's streets, and help people to rebuild their lives.
	The new Directorate will be responsible for taking forward the Government's strategic framework for homelessness in the new year.

Uniform Business Rate

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average annual increase was in (a) parish and (b) town council precepts in (i) each of the five years before and (ii) each year since the introduction of the uniform business rate.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The available information is given in the following table. Separate figures for parish and town councils are not available.
	
		
			  Parish and town council precepts, England   Increase over previous year  
			 Financial year (£ million) (£ million) (Percentage) 
		
		
			  Before the introduction of the national non-domestic rate 
			 1985–86 52 5 11 
			 1986–87 57 5 10 
			 1987–88 62 5 9 
			 1988–89 70 8 13 
			 1989–90 80 10 14 
			 
			  After the introduction of the national non-domestic rate 
			 1990–91 86 6 8 
			 1991–92 87 1 1 
			 1992–93 98 11 13 
			 1993–94 108 10 10 
			 1994–95 115 7 7 
			 1995–96 122 7 6 
			 1996–97 133 11 9 
			 1997–98 144 11 8 
			 1998–99 154 10 7 
			 1999–2000 165 11 7 
			 2000–01 181 16 10 
			 2001–02 193 12 7

Railways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the prospects for a greater regionalisation of the railways.

David Jamieson: holding answer 10 December 2001
	This is an issue we keep under review.

Railways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with European Transport Ministers on greater co-operation between the different national railways; and what form such co-operation will take.

John Spellar: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The form of co-operation between different companies in the European railway industry is essentially a matter for those companies, subject to the provisions of domestic and European law. The only recent specific discussions my Department has had on this issue have been in the context of an official-level Commission Committee established under Directive 2001/14/EC on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity. These discussions have concerned the implementation of the particular requirements in that Directive for co-operation between infrastructure managers to achieve the efficient operation of train services across more than one network.

Gibraltar

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will bring forward legislation to give the people of Gibraltar the right to vote in the 2004 European parliamentary elections.

Alan Whitehead: holding answer 10 December 2001
	Our aim is to bring forward this legislation at an appropriate opportunity to secure giving the people of Gibraltar the right to vote in the 2004 European Parliamentary elections.

Enron

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received about the deaths of employees at Enron power station, Teesside; and what recent measures he has taken to improve safety at power stations in the United Kingdom.

Alan Whitehead: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has received one representation from my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Vera Baird). The electricity industry made and continues to make representations.
	To help improve health and safety at gas turbine power stations HSE published specific guidance last year and have periodic meetings with gas turbine manufacturers and users to discuss national health and safety issues.
	In response to the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy the electricity industry has agreed national targets for improving health and safety over the next 10 years and developed an action plan that will include health and safety at power stations.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what annual data in respect of (a) population and (b) council tax base he has based his calculations of standard spending assessment and revenue support grant for the financial year 2002–03.

Alan Whitehead: The provisional calculation of Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) for 2002–03 use the Registrar General's estimates of mid-2000 population as provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
	For the council tax base, the figures used in the provisional calculation are based on Valuation Office Agency valuation lists as at 16 October 2001, taking account of information on council tax discounts and exemptions as at 1 November 2000, based on CTB1 returns for November 2000. For the calculation for the final settlement for 2002–03, we expect to use figures based on Valuation Office Agency valuation lists as at 16 October 2001, taking account of information on discounts and exemptions as at 1 November 2001, based on CTB1 returns for November 2001.
	A table showing population (rounded to the nearest 100 persons) and council tax base for all English local authorities has been placed in the House of Commons Library. All the data used in the provisional calculations are now on the Local Government Finance website at: www.local.dtlr.gov.uk/finance/ssa/ssa0203.htm

Local Government Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the effect will be on (a) the standard spending assessment and (b) the revenue support grant allocation, by authority, of the incorporation of data changes relating to the New Earnings Survey in the area cost adjustment for 2002–03.

Alan Whitehead: A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House comparing the standard spending assessments (SSAs) and revenue support grant (RSG) allocations for 2002–03, as announced for consultation on 4 December, with what they would be if based on the area cost adjustment (ACA) for 2001–02. This shows the effect of updating the data underpinning the area cost adjustment from the New Earnings Survey for 1999 (on which the 2001–02 ACA is based) to the New Earnings Survey for 2000 (on which the 2002–03 ACA is based). The figures also include the effect of updating the rates cost element of the ACA, but this element only makes up a very small proportion of the overall adjustment. The RSG figures are before the application of floors and ceilings.

Local Government Finance

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether he intends to use his reserve capping powers this year in respect of any local authorities' council tax increases.

Nick Raynsford: The reserve capping powers will not be used this year.

Aviation Website

Paul Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will review the information available on the aviation organophosphate information website; what estimate he has made of the severity of the problems identified in that site; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Government are broadly aware of concerns expressed in relation to the possible contamination of aircraft cabin air by organophosphates, but have not reviewed the contents of any websites. The Civil Aviation Authority, which has responsibility for investigating incidents involving fumes in aircraft cabins, is currently working with aircraft and engine manufacturers to identify and analyse potential aircraft cabin pollutants and to minimise the potential for engine oil leaks. A considerable amount of cabin air quality research at a European level is either under way or about to start. The Government are monitoring these developments closely and are prepared to commission specific work on organophosphates if this proves necessary.

Education Budgets

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for each of the years 1995–96 to 2001–02 the (a) total amount of education SSA provided to LEAs, (b) the final education budget agreed by LEAs and (c) the amount by which the education budget exceeded SSA.

Alan Whitehead: The information is given in the table:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year SSA Expenditure Difference Percentage 
		
		
			 1995–96 17,024 17,903 879 5.2 
			 1996–97 17,764 18,359 595 3.3 
			 1997–98 17,840 18,237 397 2.2 
			 1998–99 19,384 19,640 256 1.3 
			 1999–2000 20,414 20,582 168 0.8 
			 2000–01 21,479 21,812 333 1.6 
			 2001–02 22,513 22,860 347 1.5 
		
	
	Expenditure data are outturns for 1995–96 and budgets for 2000–01 and 2001–02 because outturn data are not yet finalised.

Council Salaries

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what figures he has collated on the average salaries in 2001–02 of the leader and other cabinet members of each English (a) city council, (b) county council, (c) district council and (d) London borough council.

Alan Whitehead: My Department does not collect information from councils on the average salaries of leaders and other cabinet members.
	The Improvement and Development Agency has asked all English local authorities to submit information on member allowances following The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2001. Authorities are asked to send details once they have come to a decision following a review of allowances by an independent panel as required under the new regulation. The average allowances of leaders and other cabinet members of local authorities who have reviewed their schemes under the new regulations and made the information available to the Improvement and Development Agency, by local authority type, as of 4 December 2001, are as follows:
	
		
			   Average allowances  
			  Number of councils Leader (£) Cabinet/ Executive (£) 
		
		
			 London borough 6 19,454 9,030 
			 Met district 8 20,737 10,155 
			 Shire county 13 20,701 11,643 
			 Shire district 79 8,444 4,474 
			 Unitary 16 15,112 7,682 
		
	
	Source:
	www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk, Member Allowance Summary Survey.

English Partnerships

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what means he proposes to keep hon. Members informed of the progress and outcome of the Government's Quinquennial Review of English Partnerships.

Sally Keeble: We propose to announce the outcome of the first stage of the review to Parliament in the new year. A full report on the outcome of the review will be published at the conclusion of stage two of the review. We expect this to be completed by Easter.

Council Tax

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the figure for the council tax base of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead given in tables accompanying his statement of 4 December includes an estimate of non-collection.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 10 December 2001
	No. The council taxbase figures given in tables accompanying my statement of 4 December are for the taxbase used in the calculation of local authorities' revenue support grant allocations, which takes no account of council tax collection rates. It is the taxbase used by local authorities when setting council taxes that reflects an assumed collection rate.

Council Running Costs

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what figures he has collated on (a) the total cost and (b) the cost per capita in the last year for which figures are available of running (i) London borough councils (ii) English county councils, (iii) English city councils, (iv) English unitary authorities and (v) English district councils broken down into (A) administration costs, (B) electoral costs, and (C) councillor salaries.

Alan Whitehead: English local authorities have reported the following expenditure 1 figures:
	
		1999–2000 Outturn
		
			  London borough councils(15) Metropolitan district Unitary authorities Shire counties(16) Shire districts 
		
		
			 Corporate and Democratic Core(17) (£ million) 166.82 187.41 167.04 134.62 317.21 
			 Administration and support services(18) (£ million) 1,096.55 1,101.22 1,054.81 788.40 1,929.57 
			 Cost of local elections (£ million) 1.11 4.75 3.99 0.32 19.02 
			 Population figures (million) 7.29 11.13 8.30 23.04 23.04 
			 Corporate and Democratic Core cost per capita (£) 22.90 16.83 20.14 5.84 13.77 
			 Administration and support services cost per capita (£) 150.52 98.91 127.15 34.22 83.76 
			 Cost of local elections per capita (£) 0.15 0.43 0.48 0.01 0.83 
		
	
	(14) Total expenditure consisting of employee expenses plus running expenses (includes joint arrangements).
	(15) Includes City of London.
	(16) Includes Isles of Scilly.
	(17) Includes expenditure in Councillors' allowances and expenses.
	(18) Some authorities may record some administrative and support services expenditure under individual services.

SCOTLAND

Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appointments she has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in her gift.

Helen Liddell: I am responsible for appointing two members of the Boundary Commission for Scotland. I have made no appointments since 7 June 2001.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the increase in the departmental expenditure limit from 2001–02 to 2002–03 will be accounted for by wage costs.

Helen Liddell: The level of wage costs within departmental budgets this year and in future years will be dependent on negotiations. Departmental reports published next spring will give full retrospective costs.

Long-term Care

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with members of the Scottish Executive since 3 May on free care for the elderly in Scotland; and what was the outcome of such discussions.

Helen Liddell: I have regular discussions with Ministers in the Scottish Executive on a wide range of issues. We have discussed the implications for the Government of the report by the Care Development Group. During these discussions, both the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive made it clear that the provision of care services is a devolved matter for the Executive.

Press Officers

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press officers are employed by the Scotland Office; and how many are located in London at Dover House.

Helen Liddell: My Department employs four press officers, two of whom are located in Dover House.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Absence

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in each of the last four years.

Christopher Leslie: The average sickness absence in working days per member of staff in the Cabinet and its agencies for the years 1996–99 is as follows. This is the most recent period for which a four-yearly analysis of statistics is available.
	
		
			  Year Working days absence per staff-year 
		
		
			 1999 6.8 
			 1998 7.3 
			 1997 6.6 
			 1996 6.4 
		
	
	The Cabinet Office is committed, through a series of policies and practices on monitoring absence and managing attendance, to reduce the impact of sickness absence on its business consistent with its Service Delivery Agreement targets.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the public service agreement target for the answer of correspondence to Ministers.

Christopher Leslie: The Cabinet Office public service agreement is that 90 per cent. of ministerial correspondence should be replied to within the 15 working day target, as shown on the Cabinet Office website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/2000/ service.delivery.agreement/statement.d.htm
	The Department is currently performing at 88 per cent. and figures for 2001–02 will be published in the Cabinet Office annual report shortly.

Local Authority Websites

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what measures are being taken to ensure that local authority websites are accessible to those with a range of disabilities; and which organisations have been consulted on this issue;
	(2)  what action his Department has taken to promote good practice in the creation and development of local authority websites.

Christopher Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead), on 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 24W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Teacher Retention

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers, (a) in total and (b) by local education authority, left the teaching profession within two years of qualification in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: Qualified teachers who entered full and part-time regular service in the maintained schools sector in England within two years of qualification and were not in service in the third year are as follows. The most recent year for which data are available is 1999–2000.
	
		
			  Qualified 1993 left service by March 1996 Qualified 1994 left service by March 1997 Qualified 1995 left service by March 1998 Qualified 1996 left service by March 1999 Qualified 1997 left service by March 2000 
		
		
			 City of London (20)— 0 (20)— (20)— (20)— 
			 Camden 17 21 18 11 14 
			 Greenwich 16 17 18 12 24 
			 Hackney 8 (20)— 5 9 (20)— 
			 Hammersmith 19 18 18 21 23 
			 Islington 18 15 17 18 24 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 9 8 6 (20)— 12 
			 Lambeth 13 11 8 7 10 
			 Lewisham 22 27 18 13 19 
			 Southwark 6 6 11 17 12 
			 Tower Hamlets 14 13 8 16 20 
			 Wandsworth 12 23 19 22 30 
			 Westminster 17 8 18 8 11 
			 Barking 14 6 6 9 19 
			 Barnet 28 34 33 43 38 
			 Bexley 9 18 12 14 15 
			 Brent 17 17 10 15 21 
			 Bromley 17 18 24 33 30 
			 Croydon 30 35 28 26 37 
			 Ealing 20 30 27 22 41 
			 Enfield 15 21 12 25 11 
			 Haringey 10 14 13 23 18 
			 Harrow 8 7 11 5 14 
			 Havering 13 15 11 15 9 
			 Hillingdon 20 18 19 18 28 
			 Hounslow 15 23 26 21 28 
			 Kingston upon Thames 14 7 14 17 7 
			 Merton 12 19 21 12 12 
			 Newham 17 28 37 30 45 
			 Redbridge 17 22 15 22 16 
			 Richmond upon Thames 12 21 21 15 10 
			 Sutton (20)— 14 12 14 16 
			 Waltham Forest 10 21 13 13 20 
			 Birmingham 50 72 64 56 65 
			 Coventry 19 13 16 13 17 
			 Dudley 13 9 10 8 10 
			 Sandwell 7 14 15 21 21 
			 Solihull 18 17 15 16 14 
			 Walsall 8 8 19 12 9 
			 Wolverhampton 9 8 11 11 9 
			 Knowsley 10 9 7 11 8 
			 Liverpool 14 21 18 21 15 
			 St. Helens 7 11 7 6 9 
			 Sefton 14 18 17 9 14 
			 Wirral 9 11 9 14 10 
			 Bolton 8 13 12 13 11 
			 Bury 12 9 7 6 10 
			 Manchester 22 23 27 33 46 
			 Oldham 7 9 8 13 10 
			 Rochdale 7 5 5 12 13 
			 Salford 6 12 8 11 13 
			 Stockport 11 10 19 16 19 
			 Tameside 5 7 10 (20)— 11 
			 Trafford (20)— 8 11 33 12 
			 Wigan (20)— 13 14 11 17 
			 Barnsley 10 8 10 7 16 
			 Doncaster 11 14 13 11 10 
			 Rotherham 10 12 7 8 14 
			 Sheffield 18 14 19 23 18 
			 Bradford 26 25 38 19 32 
			 Calderdale 9 7 12 9 8 
			 Kirklees 12 17 8 17 12 
			 Leeds 35 28 32 23 25 
			 Wakefield 17 24 14 12 15 
			 Gateshead 5 (20)— 10 (20)— 6 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 11 14 9 25 10 
			 North Tyneside 6 5 6 6 (20)— 
			 South Tynside 8 (20)— 8 11 (20)— 
			 Sunderland 17 10 9 5 17 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 (20)— 
			 Cornwall 13 17 23 16 27 
			 Cumbria 18 18 14 13 18 
			 Gloucestershire 25 36 28 34 31 
			 Hertfordshire 60 85 73 80 101 
			 Isle of Wight 6 7 6 5 7 
			 Lincolnshire 26 23 19 19 23 
			 Norfolk 31 33 36 32 28 
			 Northamptonshire 30 38 29 55 27 
			 Northumberland 13 20 11 16 18 
			 Oxfordshire 33 48 37 57 66 
			 Somerset 19 19 19 23 24 
			 Suffolk 18 26 40 30 45 
			 Surrey 70 65 82 74 92 
			 Warwickshire 23 29 25 35 41 
			 West Sussex 41 39 49 38 50 
			   
			 Reorganised LEAs(19)  
			 Avon 49 16 (20)— n/a n/a 
			 Bath and North East Somerset n/a 9 15 16 13 
			 City of Bristol n/a 15 17 20 21 
			 North Somerset n/a (20)— 10 9 8 
			 South Gloucestershire n/a 13 14 9 17 
			 Cleveland 29 8 (20)— n/a n/a 
			 Hartlepool n/a (20)— (20)— (20)— (20)— 
			 Middlesbrough n/a 0 (20)— (20)— 7 
			 Redcar and Cleveland n/a (20)— (20)— 7 6 
			 Stockton on Tees n/a (20)— 7 7 10 
			 Humberside 37 10 (20)— n/a n/a 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull n/a 6 11 8 7 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire n/a 5 23 12 11 
			 North East Lincolnshire n/a 9 (20)— (20)— (20)— 
			 North Lincolnshire n/a (20)— 9 6 (20)— 
			 "old" North Yorkshire 29 10 (20)— n/a n/a 
			 North Yorkshire n/a 6 12 29 22 
			 York n/a 5 6 6 7 
			 "old" Bedfordshire 35 38 9 (20)— n/a 
			 Bedfordshire n/a n/a 11 22 29 
			 Luton n/a n/a (20)— 14 9 
			 "old" Buckinghamshire 35 37 19 (20)— n/a 
			 Buckinghamshire n/a n/a 33 25 22 
			 Milton Keynes n/a n/a 10 11 9 
			 "old" Derbyshire 36 35 16 (20)— n/a 
			 Derbyshire n/a n/a 10 11 35 
			 City of Derby n/a n/a 9 5 13 
			 "old" Dorset 31 24 6 (20)— n/a 
			 Dorset n/a n/a 6 10 14 
			 Poole n/a n/a 5 7 5 
			 Bournemouth n/a n/a (20)— 9 11 
			 "old" Durham 22 33 7 (20)— n/a 
			 Durham n/a n/a 13 30 36 
			 Darlington n/a n/a (20)— 0 (20)— 
			 "old" East Sussex 43 44 14 6 n/a 
			 East Sussex n/a n/a 14 29 26 
			 Brighton and Hove n/a n/a 12 15 19 
			 "old" Hampshire 88 95 38 6 n/a 
			 Hampshire n/a n/a 53 68 74 
			 Portsmouth n/a n/a (20)— 14 12 
			 Southampton n/a n/a 9 18 31 
			 "old" Leicestershire 37 37 12 (20)— n/a 
			 Leicestershire n/a n/a 13 32 19 
			 Leicester City n/a n/a 9 16 10 
			 Rutland n/a n/a (20)— 0 (20)— 
			 "old" Staffordshire 26 35 12 (20)— n/a 
			 Staffordshire n/a n/a 15 37 51 
			 Stoke-on-Trent n/a n/a (20)— 10 11 
			 "old" Wiltshire 34 27 10 6 n/a 
			 Wiltshire n/a n/a 10 11 22 
			 Swindon n/a n/a 7 14 9 
			 Berkshire 52 53 54 22 6 
			 Bracknell Forest n/a n/a n/a 6 9 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead n/a n/a n/a 9 12 
			 West Berkshire n/a n/a n/a 6 18 
			 Reading n/a n/a n/a 11 11 
			 Slough n/a n/a n/a (20)— (20)— 
			 Wokingham n/a n/a n/a 12 10 
			 "old" Cambridgeshire 29 48 47 13 5 
			 Cambridgeshire n/a n/a n/a 23 37 
			 City of Peterborough n/a n/a n/a 12 10 
			 "old" Cheshire 49 55 42 11 5 
			 Cheshire n/a n/a n/a 23 30 
			 Halton n/a n/a n/a (20)— 9 
			 Warrington n/a n/a n/a 8 12 
			 "old" Devon 59 44 66 22 (20)— 
			 Devon n/a n/a n/a 28 34 
			 City of Plymouth n/a n/a n/a 13 12 
			 Torbay n/a n/a n/a 7 5 
			 "old" Essex 63 79 105 49 5 
			 Essex n/a n/a n/a 56 69 
			 Southend n/a n/a n/a 5 8 
			 Thurrock n/a n/a n/a (20)— (20)— 
			 Hereford and Worcester 24 33 25 12 n/a 
			 Herefordshire n/a n/a n/a 6 5 
			 Worcestershire n/a n/a n/a 14 26 
			 "old" Kent 69 89 84 33 7 
			 Kent n/a n/a n/a 74 83 
			 Medway n/a n/a n/a 12 22 
			 "old" Lancashire 57 56 55 14 (20)— 
			 Lancashire n/a n/a n/a 26 55 
			 Blackburn and Darwen n/a n/a n/a 5 5 
			 Blackpool n/a n/a n/a 5 (20)— 
			 "old" Nottinghamshire 47 27 50 14 5 
			 Nottinghamshire n/a n/a n/a 14 15 
			 City of Nottingham n/a n/a n/a 8 8 
			 "old" Shropshire 13 8 17 5 n/a 
			 Shropshire n/a n/a n/a 6 11 
			 Telford and Wrekin n/a n/a n/a 5 8 
			 Not known 58 86 102 177 175 
			 England 2,397 2,651 2,697 2,916 3,106 
		
	
	(19) Some teachers had their old local authority allocated to their record after the data of local government reorganisation.
	(20) Less than five
	The figures exclude 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of part-time teachers not included on the Teacher Pension Scheme records.
	Some teachers who leave service will return after a career break.

Teacher Retention

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if work has begun on the research project into why teachers leave the profession.

Stephen Timms: Work has begun on this research project. The Department has commissioned Professor Alan Smithers and Dr. Pamela Robinson, from the University of Liverpool, Centre for Education and Employment Research to undertake this study. We expect the report to be published in March 2003.

Pre-schools

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pre-schools have closed since 1997 in (a) England and (b) the Buckingham constituency.

Margaret Hodge: The Department collects information on playgroups and pre-schools defined in terms of the sessional care that they provide for children aged mainly between three and five. It does not collect information on pre-schools separately from playgroups.
	Information for England and Buckinghamshire Local Authority area is shown in the table.
	
		Number of playgroups and pre-schools
		
			   1997 2001 
		
		
			 England(21) 15,800 14,000 
			 Buckinghamshire LA area(22) 290 200 
		
	
	(21) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	(22) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Figures for 2001 for England and Government Office Region were published in Statistical Bulletin 08/01 "Children's Day Care Facilities as at 31 March 2001", which is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/ and from the Library.

Pre-schools

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pre-schools have closed since 1997 in (a) England and (b) Arundel and South Downs.

Margaret Hodge: The Department collects information on playgroups and pre-schools defined in terms of the sessional care that they provide for children aged mainly between three and five. It does not collect information on pre-schools separately from playgroups.
	The available information for England and West Sussex Local Authority area is shown in the table.
	
		Number of playgroups and pre-schools
		
			   1997 2001 
		
		
			 England(23) 15,800 14,000 
			 West Sussex LA area(24) 350 300 
		
	
	(23) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	(24) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Note:
	Local Authorities provided the data.
	Figures for 2001 for England and Government Office Region were published in Statistical Bulletin 08/01 "Children's Day Care Facilities as at 31 March 2001", which is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/ and from the Library.

Nursery Places

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department has given to (a) local education authorities and (b) Early Years Development Partnerships on the distribution of funding for nursery places for three-year-olds on the basis of postcodes; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The responsibility for setting criteria for the distribution of nursery education places at a local level rests with the Local Education Authority in conjunction with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, within the strategic framework set by the Department requiring the most socially disadvantaged to be targeted first.
	Our strategic framework does not prohibit Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships from allocating nursery education places for three-year-olds by postcode area if they believe that to be the most appropriate method of targeting social disadvantage for their area.

Nursery Places

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of three-year-olds in Leicestershire will receive free nursery places in 2001–02; and what is the national average.

Margaret Hodge: The current national average for the take up of nursery education places for three-year-olds is 62 per cent. We are well on the way to meeting our stated target of 66 per cent. by March 2002.
	The Department does not hold comprehensive local data on the percentage of three-year-olds receiving a free place in 2001–2002 for Leicestershire or other individual local authorities.

Individual Learning Accounts

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when ILA providers will receive funding for learners booked into the system before the programme was shut down.

John Healey: Officials are setting up, as a matter of priority, arrangements to validate outstanding payments and claims for payment from learning providers so that the majority of providers, who have acted honestly throughout, can be paid as quickly as possible. We will pay for learning that has already taken place and for learning that is already booked, providing we are satisfied that eligible learning is undertaken, in accordance with the rules of the programme.

Individual Learning Accounts

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are in place for students who have started ILA courses but were not booked into the system before the programme was shut down.

John Healey: Courses that were not booked onto the ILA system before the programme was shut down will not benefit from an ILA discount. However, officials are setting up, as a matter of priority, arrangements to validate outstanding payments and claims for payment from learning providers so that the majority of providers, who have acted honestly throughout, can be paid as quickly as possible. We will pay for learning that has already taken place and for learning that is already booked on the ILA Centre's system, providing we are satisfied that eligible learning is undertaken, in accordance with the rules of the programme.

Individual Learning Accounts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to launch a successor to Individual Learning Accounts.

John Healey: The Government remain committed to support those who find a lack of money a barrier to returning to education, learning or training and we are developing future plans, which build on the successful elements of the ILA programme.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her oral statement of 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 122–32, what arrangements she has made to enable people who already hold individual learning accounts to use them.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	Officials are setting up, as a matter of priority, arrangements to validate outstanding payments and claims for payment from learning providers so that the majority of providers, who have acted honestly throughout, can be paid as quickly as possible. We will pay for eligible learning that has already taken place and for learning that is already booked on the ILA Centre's system, providing we are satisfied that eligible learning is undertaken, in accordance with the rules of the programme. Learning which was not booked onto the ILA system before the programme was shut down on 23 November will not benefit from an ILA discount. The programme is now closed to the further booking of learning by learning providers.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills under what powers she shut down the individual learning account programme on 23 November without notice to individual learning account (a) holders and (b) providers.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	Section 104 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and the Regulations made under that section allow the Secretary of State a wide discretion as to how, and whether, to operate an individual learning account scheme. The powers allow the Secretary of State to begin such a scheme, to change it or to close it down.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what is her estimate of the number of holders of individual learning accounts who had not used them by 23 November; and what arrangements are being made to enable these accounts to be used.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	As at 17 November, there were 1,235,190 individual learning account holders who had not used their accounts.
	The closure of the programme on 23 November was as a result of evidence of serious potential fraud and theft involving individual learning accounts, which are being investigated by the police. All eligible learning booked onto the system before 6.30 pm on 23 November will be honoured, subject to new validation arrangements. It will only be after we have been able to complete our validation of claims and bookings from learning providers that I shall be in a position to provide an updated figure of ILA holders who have not used their accounts.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial advice is being provided by her Department to firms which have suffered loss as a result of the closure of the individual learning account programme.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	It is not expected nor appropriate for the Department to offer financial advice to any firm which has suffered a loss as a result of the closure of the individual learning account programme. Similarly, the Department did not offer financial advice to any provider at the point when they became registered with the ILA Centre.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were employed in the individual learning account centre on 23 November; how many are employed; and whether the closure of the programme will result in redundancies in her Department.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	The number of staff in place at the individual learning account centre fluctuates in response to demand and to the extent to which people make use of the range of services. The ILA centre has a flexible workforce to meet these demands, with many working part-time or in a pattern of shifts. The precise number of staff is a matter for Capita Business Services Ltd. who perform this service under contract to the Department. The contract with Capita is output based and fees paid are reliant on certain key operational indicators being met.
	I do not anticipate any redundancies within the Department relating to the closure of the ILA programme. These staff are fully occupied with residual issues resulting from the wind down of the present ILA programme, and development of a successor programme or programmes.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what compensation is being offered to holders of individual learning accounts who had intended to use them on or before 7 December 2001 but had not used them by 23 November.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	There are no plans to offer compensation to individual learning account holders who had intended to use them on or before 7 December 2001 but had not used them by 23 November.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many letters were sent out to holders of individual learning accounts to advise them that the accounts must be used on or before 7 December; and what warning was given to the recipients of the letters that the date, 7 December, had been changed to 23 November.

John Healey: holding answer 4 December 2001
	Between 29 October and 5 November every one of more than 2.5 million individual learning account holders was sent a letter about the withdrawal of the programme on 7 December. Because of the need to take immediate action it was not possible to notify account holders prior to the decision to shut down the programme on 23 November. The shutdown meant that the ILA account holders database was not available to us. However, we issued a press statement on 23 November and provided notification of the shut down on both the Department and Capita websites which we updated as new information became available. We were also able to resume the operation, on a limited basis of the ILA helpline for account holders on 27 November.

Individual Learning Accounts

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is given to those students whose applications for individual learning accounts had been submitted prior to the deadline of 7 December.

John Healey: On 26 October the Individual Learning Account Centre stopped accepting applications to open new accounts. Between 29 October and 5 November every one of more than 2.5 million Individual Learning Account holders was sent a letter about the withdrawal of the programme on 7 December. Notices were placed in nine national newspapers on 26 and 27 October and the ILA helpline advised account holders on their individual circumstances.
	Because of the need to take immediate action it was not possible to notify account holders prior to the decision to shut down the programme on 23 November. However, we issued a press statement on 23 November and provided notification of the shut down on both the Department and Capita websites which we updated as new information became available. The ILA helpline for account holders also resumed operation, on a limited basis, on 27 November.

Individual Learning Accounts

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact on (a) learning provider companies and (b) applicants of her decision to close the individual learning account scheme earlier than the published date of 7 December.

John Healey: Because of the need to take immediate action it was not possible to notify account holders or ILA registered learning providers prior to the decision to shut down the programme on 23 November. I do recognise the impact this decision will have on learners and learning providers and I am taking steps to keep them informed about developments.

Out-of-school Schemes

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the Government's strategy to develop out of school and holiday schemes for 11 to 14-year-old children.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have recognised that out-of-school-hours learning activities play a key role in developing young people and raising their attainment. "Extending Opportunity: a national framework for study support", published in 1998, set out our vision for providing more opportunities for older primary and secondary pupils to enrich their learning through out-of-school-hours learning activities. Since then £160 million has been made available through the New Opportunities Fund, including £25 million specifically for summer schools. In addition, the Department's Standards Fund has provided nearly £75 million for study support programmes this year.
	The National Childcare Strategy was established to promote childcare for children aged 0–14 and for children up to age 16 with special needs. Between 1999 and 2004, £225.5 million is being made available from the New Opportunities Fund to help create new out-of-school- hours child care in England, including breakfast, after school and holiday schemes. This can benefit all children in education, including 11 to 14-year-olds. Since 1997, through the New Opportunities Fund support and other Government support, nearly 275,000 new child care places have been set up for the 3 to 14 age range.

Higher Education Staff

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of higher education lecturing staff are on non-permanent contracts.

Margaret Hodge: The latest available information is shown in the following table.
	
		Academic lecturing staff(25) in UK HE institutions 1999–2000
		
			Full-time  Part-time  Total  
			 Terms of employment Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Permanent 66,520 80 4,870 29 71,390 72 
			 Fixed term contract 16,380 20 8,350 50 24,730 25 
			 Hourly paid/casual staff 10 0 3,390 20 3,400 3 
			 Other 60 0 120 1 180 0 
			  
			 Total 82,970 100 16,730 100 99,700 100 
		
	
	(25) Covers staff whose primary employment function is either teaching or teaching/research. Staff whose primary employment function is research are not included
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages to the nearest whole number

Higher Education Staff

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average turnover has been of teaching staff in higher education institutions in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		Turnover of full-time and part-time academic lecturing staff(26) in UK HR institutions
		
			Academic year Average 
			   1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 1997–2000 
		
		
			 Total staff(27) 90,250 92,170 94,360 92,260 
			 Inflow(28) 7,940 8,670 8,510 8,370 
			 Outflow(28) 7,140 7,120 7,060 7,110 
			 Total turnover(29) 15,080 15,790 15,570 15,480 
			 Turnover as percentage of total staff 16.7 17.1 16.5 16.8 
		
	
	(26) Includes staff whose primary employment function is teaching or teaching/research. Staff whose primary employment function is research are not included
	(27) As at 31 July
	(28) Includes entrants from, and leavers to, other (non HE) educational institutions, the public and private sectors, and overseas. Staff who move between other HE institutions in the UK are not included
	(29) Total of inflow and outflow
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10

Astra Group Pension Scheme

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what actuarial assessment has been made of the shortfall in the Astra Group pension scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The latest actuarial valuation of the Astra Group Pension Scheme was by William M Mercer in April 2001. My understanding is that it showed that at the due date of valuation of 30 April 2000, had the winding-up of the scheme been completed, it would have been in deficit by £10.72 million. However, the completion of the winding-up is still some time away and only when this process is complete will the extent of any deficit be known. This matter is entirely in the hands of Astra's administrators. The actuary (William M Mercer) has recommended that the next actuarial valuation be carried out with an effective date no later than 30 April 2003.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she collates on the educational attainments of young people with disabilities and special educational needs compared with their peer group, with particular reference to (a) qualifications attained and (b) access to higher education.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 6 December 2001
	The primary source of information on the activities and attainment of young people in the years immediately after completing compulsory education is the Youth Cohort Study (YCS). A question designed to identify those with a current long-term disability or health problem as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was introduced in the 1998 YCS surveys. Questions on Special Educational Needs (SENs) were included in the most recent survey of 16-year-olds in 2000.
	Key results from the YCS are published in Statistical First Releases (SFRs). The tables include information on attainment and participation in higher education for those with and without a long-term disability or health problem. DfES SFRs are available in the House of Commons Library and on the DfES website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics/DB/SFR/.
	In response to the call for more information in the 1997 Green Paper "Excellence for all children: meeting special educational needs" the Department has commissioned a longitudinal piece of research about the experiences of young people with SEN once they have left school.
	The study looks at the experiences, achievements, and attitudes of young people with SEN during their transition from secondary education to early adult life. It aims to identify barriers to further education, training, employment and independent living.

Post-16 Learning

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for each local education authority (a) the sum spent on post-16 education in 2000–01, (b) the sum budgeted for post-16 education in the current year and (c) the sum top-sliced from the SSA in 2002–03 for post-16 education.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The following table lists for each local education authority (a) estimated spend on post-16 education in 2000–01, consisting of the amount for each school with a sixth form which was used as the baseline for calculation of the Real Terms Guarantee, and an estimate of each authority's spend on post-16 Special Educational Needs; and (c) the provisional deduction from each local education authority's post-16 SSA for 2002–03, which each authority will receive back from the Learning and Skills Council in grant for post-16 provision. Estimated budgets for post-16 for each LEA for 2001–02 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		£ million 
		
			 LEA (a) Estimated spend 2000–01 (c) LSC allocation 2002–03 
		
		
			 City of London 0.005 0.006 
			 Camden 9.789 11.188 
			 Greenwich 7.173 8.521 
			 Hackney 1.849 2.095 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4.863 5.491 
			 Islington 1.879 1.839 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2.996 3.248 
			 Lambeth 1.624 1.947 
			 Lewisham 4.994 5.193 
			 Southwark 1.250 1.866 
			 Tower Hamlets 4.912 6.039 
			 Wandsworth 7.000 8.252 
			 Westminster 4.846 6.020 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5.229 5.967 
			 Barnet 14.448 16.589 
			 Bexley 7.005 8.375 
			 Brent 9.347 11.170 
			 Bromley 13.505 16.116 
			 Croydon 3.448 3.961 
			 Ealing 7.508 9.925 
			 Enfield 11.377 13.172 
			 Haringey 5.564 5.742 
			 Harrow 0.490 0.520 
			 Havering 3.665 4.276 
			 Hillingdon 9.892 11.944 
			 Hounslow 9.773 11.589 
			 Kingston upon Thames 5.399 6.730 
			 Merton 1.897 2.682 
			 Newham 2.024 2.765 
			 Redbridge 14.594 16.135 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0.271 0.287 
			 Sutton 7.966 10.092 
			 Waltham Forest 2.866 3.628 
			 Birmingham 25.905 30.486 
			 Coventry 8.802 11.831 
			 Dudley 1.508 1.995 
			 Sandwell 3.710 4.625 
			 Solihull 2.708 2.871 
			 Walsall 9.028 11.702 
			 Wolverhampton 7.277 9.099 
			 Knowsley 1.691 1.787 
			 Liverpool 16.815 19.372 
			 St. Helens 4.000 4.413 
			 Sefton 7.700 9.012 
			 Wirral 10.275 12.818 
			 Bolton 5.066 5.781 
			 Bury 0.514 0.545 
			 Manchester 3.369 3.737 
			 Oldham 3.459 4.004 
			 Rochdale 3.542 3.874 
			 Salford 0.615 0.653 
			 Stockport 0.474 0.503 
			 Tameside 1.108 1.360 
			 Trafford 5.708 6.469 
			 Wigan 2.307 2.605 
			 Barnsley 1.049 1.217 
			 Doncaster 9.098 11.155 
			 Rotherham 5.756 7.017 
			 Sheffield 6.178 8.378 
			 Bradford 16.678 20.827 
			 Calderdale 5.641 7.971 
			 Kirklees 5.656 7.256 
			 Leeds 18.997 21.509 
			 Wakefield 4.391 5.436 
			 Gateshead 5.035 5.633 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 7.441 9.121 
			 North Tyneside 4.841 6.146 
			 South Tyneside 1.261 1.427 
			 Sunderland 3.252 4.728 
			 Isles of Scilly 0.000 0.000 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5.536 6.397 
			 Bristol, City of 4.577 5.435 
			 North Somerset 4.887 5.704 
			 South Gloucestershire 7.005 9.148 
			 Hartlepool 1.106 1.466 
			 Middlesbrough 0.323 0.344 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0.471 0.498 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1.864 1.987 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 0.902 1.109 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 9.539 12.183 
			 North East Lincolnshire 1.419 1.664 
			 North Lincolnshire 0.903 1.055 
			 North Yorkshire 18.363 21.637 
			 York 3.260 4.078 
			 Bedfordshire 14.782 17.995 
			 Luton 0.725 0.894 
			 Buckinghamshire 20.648 23.678 
			 Milton Keynes 7.788 8.891 
			 Derbyshire 16.020 19.485 
			 Derby 3.762 5.039 
			 Dorset 11.600 14.238 
			 Poole 4.330 5.312 
			 Bournemouth 3.505 4.181 
			 Durham 10.337 12.320 
			 Darlington 0.748 1.007 
			 East Sussex 9.031 9.872 
			 Brighton and Hove 3.739 4.122 
			 Hampshire 7.604 8.245 
			 Portsmouth 0.000 0.230 
			 Southampton 0.723 0.674 
			 Leicestershire 21.388 26.023 
			 Leicester 3.611 3.955 
			 Rutland 0.000 0.065 
			 Staffordshire 21.102 26.819 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1.254 1.800 
			 Wiltshire 10.934 12.910 
			 Swindon 1.654 1.640 
			 Bracknell Forest 2.948 3.192 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4.460 5.120 
			 West Berkshire 5.932 7.450 
			 Reading 3.083 3.746 
			 Slough 3.845 4.385 
			 Wokingham 5.263 5.972 
			 Cambridgeshire 8.931 10.414 
			 Peterborough 7.543 8.376 
			 Cheshire 19.278 22.764 
			 Halton 1.873 1.769 
			 Warrington 4.203 5.113 
			 Devon 14.471 17.098 
			 Plymouth 10.320 11.507 
			 Torbay 4.042 5.384 
			 Essex 30.079 35.289 
			 Southend-on-Sea 5.190 6.491 
			 Thurrock 0.000 0.232 
			 Herefordshire 1.346 1.579 
			 Worcestershire 12.238 16.077 
			 Kent 49.630 56.891 
			 Medway 9.614 11.284 
			 Lancashire 15.639 19.250 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1.338 1.520 
			 Blackpool 0.798 0.798 
			 Nottinghamshire 19.492 23.494 
			 Nottingham 2.210 2.776 
			 Shropshire 4.377 4.851 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1.452 1.649 
			 Cornwall 9.283 11.413 
			 Cumbria 14.467 17.697 
			 Gloucestershire 15.302 19.646 
			 Hertfordshire 37.939 47.742 
			 Isle of Wight 4.739 5.615 
			 Lincolnshire 18.553 22.222 
			 Norfolk 16.632 20.702 
			 Northamptonshire 18.623 22.292 
			 Northumberland 12.691 15.781 
			 Oxfordshire 13.796 17.319 
			 Somerset 5.881 6.790 
			 Suffolk 19.638 24.194 
			 Surrey 21.970 24.793 
			 Warwickshire 12.221 14.257 
			 West Sussex 16.247 18.231 
			  
			 Total 1,133.320 1,356.000

Vocational Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she is taking to upgrade the standards and status of vocational education.

Ivan Lewis: The White Paper "Schools: achieving success" sets out our plans to make available high quality vocational options to all students from the age of 14, which are widely recognised and offer the opportunity of entry to higher education. We have introduced vocational A levels, are reforming and extending modern apprenticeships and are introducing foundation degrees. The new GCSEs in vocational subjects to be available from September 2002 will provide a qualification of the same standard as academic GCSEs. A forthcoming consultation paper on the 14–19 education phase will address how best to break down the traditional prejudice against vocational education, and to enable more students to pursue vocational options.

Education Maintenance Allowances

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the findings of the pilot areas for education maintenance allowances; and when the scheme will be extended to the rest of the country.

Ivan Lewis: The Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) pilots are subject to a rigorous three- year evaluation study.
	Early findings from the evaluation show that EMA appears to have raised participation in education. The statistical analysis estimates an average gain in participation in pilot areas compared to control areas, among EMA eligible young people, of around 5 percentage points. These findings were published in March this year.
	Although we do not yet have figures on attainment, the qualitative aspect of the evaluation has found some evidence of a positive effect on young people's commitment to study, and their performance.
	However, although these first findings are encouraging, it is important that we do not make any decisions on the future of EMAs until we have received further evaluation evidence.

University Teaching

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) improve the standard of teaching in universities.

Margaret Hodge: We are working closely with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) to ensure that revised systems are put in place to monitor and improve teaching quality which are not unnecessarily bureaucratic and costly. Proposals are currently out for consultation and we will look closely at the outcome of that process. In addition, we have requested that HEFCE produces, by July 2002, a strategic plan for enhancing teaching quality.

Homework Clubs (Portsmouth)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in the promotion of homework clubs in schools in Portsmouth; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: We are committed to providing opportunities for young people to enrich their learning through out-of-school-hours activities. "Extending Opportunity: a national framework for study support", published in 1998, set out the contribution homework clubs can make to a school's wider programme of out-of-school-hours learning activities.
	We also published Homework Guidelines, which require school homework policies to refer to any opportunities that exist for pupils to do homework, under supervision, at places other than home. In addition to school homework clubs, these may also include libraries and community centres. The homework area on the Department's Standards website supplements the guidelines with examples of good practice and case studies which teachers, governors, parents and pupils can access.
	Within that framework, the promotion of homework clubs in specific parts of the country is a matter for individual local authorities and schools.

Further Education Colleges

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list each college of further education subject to a recovery plan, together with the allocation to each college from the Learning and Skills Council standards fund; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 December 2001
	Information about colleges that are subject to a recovery plan is commercially sensitive and confidential between the individual colleges and the LSC. We are unable to release this information as it may adversely affect individual colleges' ability to attract new, non-government funded, business and may also adversely affect the colleges' ability to attract new learners. This would increase problems at the individual college. Not supplying this sensitive information is in accordance with Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Further Education Colleges

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list (a) the criteria used for categorising the financial health of further education colleges and (b) the number of colleges, in each of the last five financial years, in each of the categories; and if she will indicate which existing colleges are in category C.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The financial health of further education colleges is assessed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as falling into one of three categories:
	Group A comprises providers that appear to have sufficiently robust finances to implement their strategic plan and to deal with the circumstances most likely to occur during the planning period.
	Group B comprises providers that show signs of financial weakness that might limit their ability to implement their strategic plan if they encounter adverse circumstances during the planning period.
	Group C comprises providers that are financially weak and that are, or may become, dependent on the goodwill of others. This might involve, for example, a loan from their bank for solvency purposes.
	The number of colleges in each of the categories in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			 Year(30) Group A Group B Group C 
		
		
			 1996 206 148 93 
			 1997 197 151 96 
			 1998 213 142 80 
			 1999 242 124 65 
			 2000 242 102 69 
		
	
	(30) Source:
	Colleges' audited financial statements
	Information about colleges in category C is commercially sensitive and is confidential between the LSC and colleges. We are unable to supply the information as doing so may adversely affect individual colleges' ability to attract new, non-government funded, business and may also adversely affect the colleges' ability to attract new learners. This would increase the financial pressure on the colleges. Not supplying this sensitive information is also in accordance with Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Education Standard Spending Assessment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for each of the years 1997–98 to 2001–02 (a) the name of each local education authority where education SSA increases have not been passported, (b) the total amount of education budget and (c) the total amount of education SSA and the surplus order deficit over education SSA.

Stephen Timms: Tables 1 to 3 list those local education authorities which did not passport in the years 1999–2000 to 2001–02, together with their total education budget, their education SSA, and the spend above or below SSA. Passporting is defined by whether an authority passed on to the education budget the year on year increase in education SSA, rather than by the relationship between budget and SSA. However, it is not possible to assess whether passporting took place simply from an analysis of budget and SSA figures, since in assessing passporting adjustments were made for items such as Capital Expenditure from the Revenue Account (CERA), one-off payments, and the ceiling on grant increases in 2001–02. There were no passporting exercises in 1997–98 and 1998–99.
	
		Table 1: 1999–2000 -- £ million
		
			 LEA Education budget Education SSA Surplus or deficit 
		
		
			 Lambeth 115.032 111.391 3.641 
			 Lewisham 127.548 127.492 0.056 
			 Haringey 110.586 110.650 -0.064 
			 Merton 63.906 66.325 -2.419 
			 Redbridge 115.074 118.368 -3.294 
			 Richmond upon Thames 53.338 52.456 0.882 
			 Waltham Forest 110.433 111.051 -0.618 
			 Birmingham 546.234 505.954 40.280 
			 Walsall 123.863 124.648 -0.785 
			 Knowsley 85.322 85.232 0.090 
			 St. Helens 80.741 76.502 4.239 
			 Trafford 105.130 91.100 14.030 
			 Wigan 131.721 125.345 6.376 
			 Doncaster 134.658 136.085 -1.427 
			 Gateshead 81.637 78.264 3.373 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 121.426 111.037 10.389 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 68.329 62.342 5.987 
			 North Somerset 70.967 67.996 2.971 
			 South Gloucestershire 99.418 93.808 5.610 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 66.086 66.199 -0.113 
			 Hull City 115.990 114.819 1.171 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 129.087 121.259 7.828 
			 Milton Keynes 87.284 92.700 -5.416 
			 Darlington 39.133 39.671 -0.538 
			 Brighton and Hove 84.059 82.767 1.292 
			 Southampton 90.432 87.375 3.057 
			 Leicestershire 236.428 228.194 8.234 
			 Swindon 71.156 73.292 -2.136 
			 Herefordshire 60.529 61.103 -0.574 
			 Lancashire 484.874 468.489 16.385 
			 Blackpool 50.677 52.808 -2.131 
			 Cornwall 191.623 189.829 1.794 
			 Somerset 185.943 175.623 10.320 
			 West Sussex 275.729 269.166 6.563 
		
	
	Note:
	Education budget is taken from Local Authorities' Revenue Account returns. Non-passporting authorities are those which were published in the LEA comparative expenditure tables in June 1999.
	
		Table 2: 2000–01 -- £ million
		
			 LEA Education budget Education SSA Surplus or deficit 
		
		
			 Southwark 132.620 130.405 2.216 
			 Barnet 144.869 143.030 1.838 
			 Brent 122.579 129.463 -6.884 
			 Redbridge 123.490 125.904 -2.414 
			 Salford 100.503 98.773 1.730 
			 North Somerset 72.244 70.855 1.389 
			 Somerset 191.534 186.168 5.365 
		
	
	Note:
	Education budget is total education revenue expenditure recorded at line 5 on local education authorities' section 52 budget statements for 2000–01, less income from grants recorded at line 6. Non-passporting authorities are those which were published in the LEA comparative expenditure tables in June 2000.
	
		Table 3: 2001–02 -- £ million
		
			 LEA Education budget Education SSA Surplus or deficit 
		
		
			 Brent 126.841 135.195 -8.354 
			 Harrow 91.492 90.818 0.674 
			 Wolverhampton 125.771 120.747 5.024 
			 City of Bristol 161.303 145.611 15.691 
			 North Somerset 74.582 74.508 0.073 
			 York 68.251 66.287 1.965 
			 Swindon 80.047 80.046 0.001 
			 Northumberland 141.303 139.663 1.640 
		
	
	Note:
	Education budget is total education revenue expenditure recorded at line 5 on local education authorities' section 52 budget statements for 2000–01, less income from grants recorded at lines 6a and 6b. Non-passporting authorities are those which were published in the LEA comparative expenditure tables in June 2001.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Departmental Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many publications were issued by his Department in each of the last four years.

Denis MacShane: The total number of publications issued was:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1997–98 194 
			 1998–99 224 
			 1999–2000 179 
			 2000–01 161 
		
	
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces a range of booklets aimed at overseas audiences. It also issues recruitment literature, and leaflets to raise consular awareness among UK nationals travelling abroad. The figures include parliamentary publications such as annual FCO departmental reports on the Government's expenditure plans and human rights.

Gibraltar

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the constitutional arrangements agreed between the UK and the Irish Republic involving joint decision-making in the affairs of Northern Ireland are being used as a model for the future constitutional status of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) on 20 November 2001, Official Report, column 187W. A copy of the joint press communiqué issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs when they met under the Brussels Process in Barcelona on 20 November has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The Ministers discussed the full range of issues set out in the November 1984 Brussels Communiqué. Their discussions did not include the relevance of the Northern Ireland constitutional model to Gibraltar.

Gibraltar

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if an agreement to offer Spain any joint decision-making over the affairs of Gibraltar will be put to a referendum of the people of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I refer to my statement in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH. The Government will stand by the constitutional commitment to Gibraltar set out in the preamble to the Order in Council that established the 1969 constitution. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs reiterated this in response to a question from the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack) on 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 822–23.

Gibraltar

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which aspects of agreement on the future status of Gibraltar with Spain (a) will and (b) will not be subject to a referendum in Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to a question from the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack) on 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 822.

Gibraltar

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to enter into discussions with Spain over the future status of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 5 December 2001, Official Report, column 312W.

Gibraltar

Dennis Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to raise the issue of border delays with the Government of Spain.

Peter Hain: I last raised the issue of border delays with the Spanish Minister for Europe on 10 December, and will continue to do so on all future appropriate occasions.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the increase in the departmental expenditure limit from 2001–02 to 2002–03 will be accounted for by wage costs.

Denis MacShane: This information is not available at present as the figures for 2001–02 cannot be finalised until the end of the financial year. We are in any case unable to provide the figures for 2002–03 as the FCO's paybill is negotiated annually with HM Treasury.
	The FCO's forthcoming Departmental Report (to be published spring 2002) will give full retrospective costs.

New Deal (Young People)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people are employed by the Department under the new deal for young people; and at what cost to public funds.

Ben Bradshaw: Information follows on the number of people currently employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office under the new deal for young people. New deal recruits take up existing vacancies so extra costs are limited to the subsidy where appropriate, and any additional training which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot readily be identified.
	In 2001 the FCO has recruited three young people under the scheme. Since 1999, 10 have been employed. They are paid an A1 salary, (the grade at which we recruit New Dealers) currently £12,600 per annum. The Employment Service subsidy is £60 per week for the first six months of their employment.

Departmental Staff (Home Working)

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage staff to work from home; and how many staff do so on a regular basis.

Ben Bradshaw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to the Work Life Balance of its staff. A range of flexible working patterns—including part-time working, job sharing and home working—is available to staff by agreement with their management.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publicises its commitment to flexible working and encourages managers to respond positively to requests as part of their commitment to the diversity agenda.
	On the basis of the latest information available, there are currently around 20 people in the FCO who work permanently or regularly from home; many more work from home on an informal or occasional basis. Other working patterns in place include term time, school hours, compressed hours, shift working, flexitime, staggered hours, reduced hours, part-time and job sharing.

Indonesia

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Indonesian authorities regarding the actions of Laskar Jihad in the Christian villages surrounding Tentena;
	(2)  what action he is taking regarding the attacks on religious minorities in the Poso region of Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Ben Bradshaw: On 23 November our chargé d'affaires in Jakarata lobbied Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian Co-ordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, on the security situation in Sulawesi. Mr. Yudhoyono said that the Government were anticipating an upswing in violence and that additional military and police had been deployed to the region. Our concern was further reinforced by the chargé d'affaires at a meeting with Manuel Kaisieppo, the Minister of Development in Eastern Indonesia on 29 November. We will continue to monitor developments closely.

Al-Qaeda

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 404W, on al-Qaeda, if he will rule out support for military action against states where there is no evidence of state support of the terrorist activities of al-Qaeda.

Ben Bradshaw: Our aim is to eliminate the threat posed by the international terrorist networks of al-Qaeda, and other international terrorist organisations. We will take the action we deem necessary in support of this aim. It would not be sensible to rule out any option in advance.
	Many countries around the world suffer from the presence and activity of international terrorists. Most are prepared to address the problem, but some lack sufficient capability to do so. In co-operation with the international community we are stepping up assistance to states which oppose terrorist activity but lack the means to prevent it.

Suicide Terrorists

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 5 December 2001, Official Report, column 315W, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the level of preparedness up to 11 September for the willingness of suicide terrorists to use aircraft and other vehicles to inflict substantial loss of life.

Ben Bradshaw: Alongside national and international measures aimed at deterring and preventing terrorist activity, our contingency planning takes account of all types of terrorist threats. Although we are constantly alert to the threat of international terrorism, we had no specific warning of the 11 September attacks.

Afghanistan

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evaluation his Department has made of the role of Russia in the decision by the Northern Alliance to occupy Kabul.

Ben Bradshaw: In Kabul, the Northern Alliance took over a city abandoned by the Taliban. We are not aware of any Russian role in this decision.
	Russia has made a valuable humanitarian contribution to the coalition's campaign against terrorism. We also welcomed their political support for the Bonn conference and the newly agreed Interim Administration.

Afghanistan

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the expected nature and extent of Russian influence in post-conflict Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: The Russian Government welcomed the results of the Bonn conference and saw it as an important step towards a post-conflict settlement in Afghanistan. We expect their political support to continue to ensure implementation of the decisions adopted. We also expect this to be reinforced by on-going humanitarian assistance (including medicines, a field hospital and de-mining assistance).

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support an investigation into events at Mazar-i-Sharif to establish (a) whether adequate steps were taken at the outset (i) to deter a revolt and (ii) to prevent access to the weapons used for the revolt, (b) the circumstances under which Taliban prisoners who had their hands bound were killed and (c) the standard of treatment of Taliban fighters (1) who tried to surrender, (2) became incapacitated and (3) who otherwise stopped fighting.

Ben Bradshaw: We take very seriously our obligations under the Geneva Conventions with regard to the enforcement of international law and have urged the Northern Alliance to treat humanely all those who have surrendered and are taken prisoner. But we do not think it appropriate to call for an investigation into the events at Mazar-i-Sharif at the present time.

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK will be involved in setting up procedures for the (a) safe surrender, (b) disarming and (c) detention of captured fighters in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: Most fighters in Afghanistan are being held by the Northern Alliance or other Afghan groups. We have urged those groups to set up the necessary procedures to handle prisoners in accordance with international norms. We would look to the ICRC to monitor these procedures. The UK itself does not have sufficient forces on the ground to handle captured fighters.

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK Government and their coalition allies in Afghanistan provide logistic support to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners in their custody.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK does not have sufficient forces on the ground to provide logistical support nor handle captured fighters in Afghanistan. We have urged the Northern Alliance to treat humanely all those who are prisoners in their custody.

EU (Public Information)

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to inform people about the law-making process in the European Union.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published a leaflet which summarises the process by which European Directives and Regulations are made. This is being given a wide distribution and is available on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk. Copies are available for collection in the Libraries of the House.

EU (Public Information)

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to inform people about the meaning of the European Union treaties.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published a leaflet which summarises the European Union Treaties in under 300 words. This is being given a wide distribution and is also available on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk. Copies are available for collection in the Libraries of the House.

British Council

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many indemnity undertakings were given by his Department in respect of loss or damage to works of art loaned to the British Council for exhibition overseas for the six-month period ended 30 September; and what the value was of the contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings which remained outstanding at that date.

Denis MacShane: The British Council, although not a Government Department, receives a substantial Grant in Aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It regularly organises or sponsors exhibitions overseas of works of art loaned from National Galleries and private collections in the United Kingdom. It provides certain assurances or guarantees in respect of loss or damage while these works are on loan.
	In the six month period ended 30 September 2001 the British Council provided such assurances to two national lenders and undertakings to 14 private lenders. The value of the contingent liabilities that remained outstanding as at 30 September 2001 in respect of national lenders was £464,200 and in respect of private lenders was £3,797,125 ie a total of £4,261,325.

International Judicial Procedures

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what judicial procedures will be set up to try those in custody accused of (a) war crimes, (b) crimes against humanity and (c) other serious violations of international law.

Ben Bradshaw: United Kingdom courts have jurisdiction in respect of crimes against humanity and war crimes (which include serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict) only when the offences are committed in the United Kingdom or, outside the United Kingdom, by a national or resident of the UK or by a person subject to UK service jurisdiction. New judicial procedures are not therefore needed.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the public service agreement target for efficiency in the criminal justice system.

Keith Bradley: There is a broad range of activity to modernise and improve all of the criminal justice organisations. This work has enabled us to achieve our Youth Justice Pledge of halving the time taken from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders.
	The Government are also considering and consulting on two major reports (Making Sentencing Work—report of the Review of the Sentencing Framework for England and Wales, and Lord Justice Auld's Review of the Criminal Courts In England and Wales) which will lead to wide ranging programmes to improve efficiency in the Criminal Justice System. Although there is no cross-cutting public service agreement target for efficiency, the public service agreement does contain a value for money target which it is envisaged will be set by March 2002.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance his Department provided in 2000–01 to those charities which are on the central register of charities but did not receive guidance under the public service agreement target set out on page 169 of the 2001 Department report.

Angela Eagle: None. This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the Government Department which has a range of statutory powers to help and supervise charities. The Chief Charity Commissioner will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if the public service agreement target to ensure by March 2001 that charities are able to operate for their proper purpose by increasing the percentage of cases where legal authority is exercised at Charity Commission instigation was achieved;
	(2)  if the public service agreement target for efficiency gains in the Charity Commission was achieved in 2000–01;
	(3)  what is the role of the Charity Commission in the cases in which it does not initiate the provision of substantive guidance on governance and administration;
	(4)  if the public service agreement target for the staff cost per charity monitored was achieved by March 2001;
	(5)  if the public service agreement target to monitor 85 per cent. of the target grant of charities by March 2001 was achieved;
	(6)  if the public service agreement target to benchmark impact indicators for the Charity Commission and implement them from January was achieved;
	(7)  what progress was made in 2000–01 in reducing absence on sick leave by staff of the Charity Commission;
	(8)  if the public service agreement target to improve by March 2001 the effectiveness of charities' operations by the Commission initiating the provisions of substantive guidance on governance and administration was achieved;
	(9)  if the public service agreement to increase the cost effectiveness of the Charity Commission's investigative results to 90 per cent. was achieved;
	(10)  if the public service agreement target to determine by March 2001 charities status within 95 working days of the application for registration being received was achieved;
	(11)  if the public service agreement target to provide guidance by 31 March 2001 to 58 per cent. of charities which are placed on the central register of charities was achieved.

Angela Eagle: These are matters for the Charity Commission, who will write to the hon. Member. A copy of the Commission's reply will be placed in the Library.

Asylum Seekers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of failed asylum applicants who will be removed from the UK in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 22 November 2001
	The current Service Delivery Agreement target relating to the removal of failed asylum seekers from the United Kingdom is to remove 30,000 in 2001–02; 33,000 in 2003–04; and 37,000 in 2003–04. The totals include dependants.
	The 30,000 target for this year has always been ambitious and high risk. To enable us to reach it we need to remove about 2,500 people a month. It remains our aim to achieve this monthly total by March 2002.
	So far in 2001, 7,400 failed asylum seekers have been removed, which, from April onwards, includes dependants.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reform the asylum system, particularly in terms of the effects on the provision of housing.

Angela Eagle: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the steps he is taking to reform the asylum system on 29 October 2001, Official Report, column 627. These include the establishment on a trial basis of 3,000 accommodation centre places. For the remainder of asylum seekers existing support arrangements will continue to be provided.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changes to the departmental expenditure limit and administration cost limit within his responsibility.

David Blunkett: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure Limit, which covers Request for Resources 1 (building a safe, just and tolerant society) and Request for Resources 2 (protecting the public by holding prisoners in decent conditions and reducing re-offending after release), will be increased by £75,547,000 from £9,786,720,000 to £9,862,267,000. The administration costs limit will be decreased by £8,194,000 from £2,413,837,000 to £2,405,643,000.
	A detailed breakdown of the winter supplementary changes has been placed in the library.

Illegal Drugs (Prisons)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent surveys have been undertaken by his Department on how illegal drugs enter prisons in England and Wales.

Beverley Hughes: The available evidence shows that the predominant route of supply of drugs into prisons is through the social visits process. Further research into the supply of drugs in prisons is being commissioned by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.

Leave to Remain

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time is that applicants wait between being granted (a) indefinite and (b) finite leave to remain in the UK and their receipt of the necessary documents; what is the longest wait in both cases at present; and how many residents of (i) Beckenham constituency and (ii) Bromley Borough are awaiting their documents.

Angela Eagle: Once an application has been granted it is normally dispatched by first class recorded delivery. Depending on Post Office delivery it should normally take one to two days after dispatch to be received. The other requested information is not centrally recorded.

Immigration

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reporting centres for conducting immigration interviews have been set up in the north-east since January 2000; how many appeals by the Immigration Appeals Authority have been heard in courts based in the north-east; and how many were planned to be heard in the north-east in 2001.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 3 December 2001
	The north-east has one reporting centre at Waterside Court, Leeds, which opened in October 2000.
	I understand from my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor that the number of adjudicator hearings undertaken by the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) in courts in the north-east since October 2000 until the end of September 2001 was 4,911 for asylum appeals and 976 for immigration appeals. The number of tribunal hearings was 107 for asylum appeals and 31 for immigration appeals. Data prior to October 2000 are not available.
	The IAA plan to receive a specified number of adjudicator appeal cases from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate each year. As the current IAA policy is to list cases into the court nearest the appellant's place of residence, area distribution can only be undertaken when appeal papers are received and consequently cannot be planned in advance.

Animal Experiments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implications of the Biocidal Products Regulation for animal testing.

Angela Eagle: It is not possible for the Home Office to give an estimation of the impact of the Biocidal Products Directive (98/8/EC), which came into force in the United Kingdom in April 2001, on the scale and nature of animal use.
	As a consequence of it coming into force, there will be a requirement for all biocidal products and their active substances to be authorised for use and therefore the new testing requirement may increase animal use in this area.
	To minimise duplicate testing, Article 13 of the Directive requires authorisation holders to take all reasonable steps to share data. Furthermore, the Article also allows for member states to oblige applicants to share data, specifically to avoid unnecessary and duplicate testing on animals.
	It continues to be our aim to reduce, refine and replace the use of animals in scientific procedures and to ensure that the benefits to humans, other animals or the environment outweigh the costs to the animals involved. In August 2000 the Home Office announced the agreement of a cross-Government concordat to increase data sharing in all United Kingdom regulatory safety testing.

Animal Experiments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to assess the effects of genetic modification in laboratory animals on the animals' welfare.

Angela Eagle: The production of genetically modified animals (as well as their use in experiments or other scientific procedures) is controlled under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. In deciding whether to grant a licence to produce, breed or use genetically modified animals, the 1986 Act requires, as with ordinary animals, that the likely benefits of the programme are weighed against the likely adverse effects on the animals concerned (the cost/benefit assessment) and that there are no alternatives which either replace animal use entirely, reduce the number of animals needed or refine the procedures to minimise pain and suffering (3Rs). We must also be satisfied that the procedures are likely to achieve the stated objectives.
	Since the genetic modification of animals was first achieved, the number of genetically modified animals produced and used under the terms of the Act has increased considerably, and is likely to continue to increase. The production and use of such animals allows new areas of medical and other scientific research to be explored; provides the potential for investigating a wide variety of conditions including cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis; and allows the quality of the science in many areas of research and testing to be improved.
	It is not always possible to predict the likely welfare effects of novel genetic modifications. However, project licence authorities are framed to permit only apparently healthy genetically modified animals to be produced or maintained unless, and exceptionally, a specific scientific justification is made and accepted for the production of genetically modified animals whose welfare may be compromised.
	The vast majority (over 95 per cent) of GM animals produced and used are mice.

Animal Experiments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of each type of animal have been used in laboratory testing in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The number of animals, listed by species, used in scientific procedures for each year since 1997 for which figures are available, is given in Table 1A in the annual publication "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain", copies of which are in the Library. Table 5A in the same publication gives the numbers of each type of animal used in non-toxicological work, which is primarily research, and Table 10A gives the numbers of animals used in toxicological work, consisting mainly for safety testing and quality of control of medical and veterinary pharmaceuticals and other products.

Animal Experiments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Government have invested in developing alternatives to animal testing in the last five years.

Angela Eagle: Most of the work done on alternatives is neither done by the Government nor with Government money. The budget the Home Office has made available to the Animal Procedures Committee for research in this area over the last five years is as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			  Year Budget made available 
		
		
			 1997–98 182,000 
			 1998–99 259,000 
			 1999–2000 259,000 
			 2000–01 265,000 
			 2001–02 280,000 
		
	
	By "alternatives", we are referring to the development and promotion of alternatives which (1) replace animal use, (2) reduce the number of animals used or (3) refine the procedures involved to minimise suffering (3Rs).
	This money is not the only money spent by Government Departments on alternatives. In 1999, the Home Office asked the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and the Northern Ireland Office for an indication of the level of each Department's funding of alternatives. Unlike the Home Office, the funding of alternatives by other Government Departments is neither ring-fenced nor clearly demarcated from the funding of other areas of science. The Home Office was, however, provided with an estimated figure, totalling over £2 million, for the yearly expenditure across Government for research into alternatives.

Animal Experiments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Home Office inspectors there are with responsibility for scrutinising the impact of the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and what their duties are.

Angela Eagle: There are currently 22 inspectors appointed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Plans have recently been announced to further increase the number of inspectors to 33 over the next three years. Five more inspectors will be taking up post in the new year and an additional six will be appointed in 2003.
	The duties of an inspector are set out as follows in section 18 (2) and 18 (3) of the 1986 Act.
	"18 (2) It shall be the duty of an inspector:
	(a) to advise the Secretary of State on applications for personal and project licences, on requests for their variation or revocation and on their periodical review;
	(b) to advise him on applications for certificates under this Act and on requests for their variation or revocation;
	(c) to visit places where regulated procedures are carried out for the purpose of determining whether those procedures are authorised by the requisite licences and whether the conditions of those licences are being complied with;
	(d) to visit designated establishments for the purpose of determining whether the conditions of the certificates in respect of those establishments are being complied with;
	(e) to report to the Secretary of State any case in which any provision of this Act or any condition of a licence or certificate under this Act has not been or is not being complied with and to advise him on the action to be taken in any such case.
	18 (3) If an inspector considers that a protected animal is undergoing excessive suffering he may require it to be immediately killed by a method appropriate to the animal under Schedule 1 to this Act or by such other method as may be authorised by any personal licence held by the person to whom the requirement is addressed."
	The Inspectorate plays an active part in promoting the 3Rs (of reduction, refinement and replacement) in animal experimentation by, for example, preparation of Codes of Practice for the care and use of animals, the provision of technical expertise to others leading initiatives in this area, and participation in numerous awareness raising events.

Animal Experiments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licences have been issued for the use of GM (a) mice and (b) other animals in laboratory testing in each year since 1977.

Angela Eagle: Project licences for particular programmes of scientific research have only been granted since 1987, when the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 came into force. Prior to this date live animal research was authorised via a personal licence system which did not set out the scientific issues in detail.
	Home Office records do not show the subdivision of project licences into those that authorise the use of genetically modified (GM) animals and those which do not. It would not be possible to obtain the requested information by other means without disproportionate effort or with any guarantee of completeness. We can only say that a growing number of GM animals are used as models within some licensed programmes, often in conjunction with other live animal models.
	However, since 1988 annual statistics published by the Home Office have contained information on the overall use of GM animals in scientific procedures. The detail provided has increased over the years, and the latest publication entitled 'Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2000' (Cm 5344) contains a great deal of related data. Table 3 of the publication provides comprehensive data on scientific procedures by species of animal, primary purpose (including breeding) and genetic status. Copies are available in the Library.

Illegal Employment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to deal with the illegal employment of those who have entered the country illegally.

Angela Eagle: A cross-departmental working group has been established under the Chairmanship of Lord Rooker to bring forward proposals to deal with illegal employment. The planned White Paper will provide details.

Prisons

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if bid and tender documents relating to the (a) design, (b) build and (c) management of prisons are published; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Invitation to Tender (ITT) issued by the Prison Service at the start of a competition for the design, construction, management and financing of a new prison is freely available. The bids made in response to the ITT are commercial in confidence and therefore not published.

Drug Abstinence Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Drug Abstinence Order pilots began in each pilot area; how many Orders have been (a) commenced and (b) breached in each area; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Piloting of the Drug Abstinence Order (DAO) began on 5 November in Staffordshire, Nottingham and Hackney.
	As of 6 December, one DAO has been commenced in each pilot area. No DAO has been breached.
	The courts have only had this sentencing option available to them for one month, and it is too early to draw any conclusions at this stage. An interim evaluation report is due in spring 2002, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

Extended Court Hours

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made for individuals to be received by local prisons beyond normal hours in pilot areas for extended court hours; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Pilot projects for extended court sittings are to operate in Manchester and London from April 2002. The Manchester pilot will involve an earlier court start of prisoners arrested overnight, as well as non-custody trial court in the evening, to explore the benefits of access to justice. There is no requirement to extend prison opening hours for this pilot since prisoners will only be committed to custody during normal court hours. In London, the plans for the proposed pilot remain to be finalised.

Extended Court Hours

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the (a) start and (b) expected completion dates for extended courts sittings hours pilots; what the planned extended hours are in the pilot areas; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Planning is under way involving all criminal justice partners for pilot studies to find the most cost-effective means of extending court hours. The aim is to test whether extended hours would have an impact on delays, deter local criminals, improve access to justice and help reassure local communities. The pilots are expected to start in the spring of next year and run for approximately six months. In Manchester three remand courts will start at 9 am on Monday to Friday to deal with remand cases more quickly and release more court space in the afternoon. Additional evening trial courts will be available on Tuesday and Thursday sitting from 4 pm to 8 pm at the request of victims and witnesses who would find these times more convenient. The objective for the Manchester pilot is to extend court sitting to support the key criminal justice objectives of access to justice, reducing delay and improving services to victims and witnesses.
	The objective in London is to deal immediately with evening arrests to deter criminals and provide reassurance to the public. Plans in this area are not yet finalised.

HMP Wold

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the costs incurred for developing the bids for the running of HMP Wold by each bidder are included in the overall tender; whether this is a factor in the consideration of the bids; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Director General of the Prison Service, as Accounting Officer, is responsible for deciding whether to include or exclude the bidding costs in the Prison Service's in-house bid made under a market test of a prison. The Director General decided, following advice from Her Majesty's Treasury, that these costs should be included in the case of Wolds prison on the basis that the equivalent costs incurred by private sector bidders have to be absorbed by the companies concerned.

Anti-drugs Strategy

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual administrative cost of the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit in the Cabinet Office was over the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The average annual administrative cost of the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit in the Cabinet Office over the last three years was £813,000.

Assets Recovery Agency

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial steps his Department has taken to prepare for the (a) setting up and (b) running costs of the proposed Assets Recovery Agency.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 10 December 2001
	As I explained in my answer to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 4 December 2001, Official Report, column 230W, it is currently estimated that the agency will cost £3 million to set up and that its running costs will be £13 million per annum. These estimates are subject to revision as planning for the agency proceeds. Sufficient provision was made in the Spending Review in 2000 to cover the costs of the agency and related expenditure.

Young Offenders (Statistics)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 15 and 16-year-old boys were remanded in custody during (a) 2000 and (b) January to June 2001, broken down by age and ethnicity, on the last date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 10 December 2001
	Receptions of 15 and 16-year-old boys remanded into custody in prisons in England and Wales in (a) 2000 and (b) January to June 2001, by age and ethnicity, are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Total 15 years 16 years 
		
		
			 2000
			 Total 2,791 1,001 1,790 
			 Asian-Bangladeshi 28 11 17 
			 Asian-Indian 13 8 5 
			 Asian-Pakistani 39 15 24 
			 Asian-Other 59 23 36 
			 Black-African 71 23 48 
			 Black-Caribbean 268 119 149 
			 Black-Other 176 62 114 
			 Chinese 2 2 0 
			 Other 40 13 27 
			 White 2,097 726 1,371 
			 
			 2001(31)   
			 Total 1,284 417 867 
			 Asian-Bangladeshi 12 5 7 
			 Asian-Indian 5 2 3 
			 Asian-Pakistani 12 1 11 
			 Asian-Other 15 3 12 
			 Black-African 44 14 30 
			 Black-Caribbean 89 30 59 
			 Black-Other 108 37 71 
			 Chinese 0 0 0 
			 Other 24 8 16 
			 White 975 317 658 
		
	
	(31) Data for 2001 cover 1 January 2001 to 30 June 2001 only, and are provisional.

EU (Co-decisions)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the basis upon which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle), made her statement of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 422, on the powers of co-decision of the European Parliament on some Third Pillar measures.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 10 December 2001
	For the role of the European Parliament in relation to Third Pillar measures, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for Europe gave to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 29 November 2001, Official Report, column 1080W. I have, through my officials, written to the editor of Hansard making it clear that the applicable procedure is consultation with the European Parliament rather than co-decision. The point I made in my statement of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 422—that the European Parliament have a role in the development of Third Pillar measures—is absolutely correct. The European Parliament must be consulted on all Conventions, decisions and framework decisions. It has delivered opinions on the European Arrest Warrant and on the Framework Decision on Terrorism. It will be reconsulted on the terrorism framework decision and, if the Council achieves consensus, on the European Arrest Warrant. This demonstrates that the European Parliament does in fact have oversight of Third Pillar matters.

Prison Ships

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison ships are in use; and what plans there are to increase the number.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The prison service currently operates one prison ship, Weare, which is berthed in Portland Harbour and has been operating successfully as a medium security training establishment since 1997 accommodating 400 men over the age of 25 serving the last nine months of their sentence. There are currently no plans to increase the number of prison ships. However, the prison service is always prepared to consider a wide range of options for safely accommodating the prisoner population when it is rising including the use of floating facilities, but would prefer to give primary consideration to other alternatives which provide better long term accommodation.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Freedom of Information

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when members of the public will have rights to access information held by public authorities as set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: January 2005.

Judges' Lodgings

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2001, Official Report, columns 1135–36W, on judges' accommodation, what (a) sporting, (b) recreational and (c) leisure facilities are provided in each of the judges' lodgings listed.

Michael Wills: The only sporting, recreational and leisure facilities provided at lodgings are as follows:
	Birmingham—Snooker room
	Leeds—Snooker room
	Nottingham—Snooker room
	Plawsworth—Tennis court.

Judges' Lodgings

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2001, Official Report, columns 1135–36W, on judges accommodation, what assessment has been made of the scope that exists for savings to be obtained by his Department if it accommodates judges on circuit other than in the judges' lodgings listed.

Michael Wills: As part of the Triennial Review of Judges Lodgings, a notional comparison was made of the value for money provided by lodgings with alternative forms of accommodation providing appropriate standards of security, privacy and comfort. The review concluded that, taking account of the security requirements and extra environmental benefits offered by lodgings, they continue to provide the best balance between meeting the needs of the judges on the one hand and obtaining fair value for money on the other.
	While the review therefore recommended that there be no change to the overall principle that lodgings continue to be the main method by which accommodation is provided, the Lord Chancellor has now decided that it will be taken forward in the context of relevant recommendations of Lord Justice Auld's report which was published on 8 October.

Judges' Lodgings

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2001, Official Report, columns 1135–36W, on judges' accommodation, if he will list for each of the judges' lodgings in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01, (i) the capital value and date of last valuation, (ii) the rent paid, (iii) the number of staff employed, their job titles and whether full or part-time, (iv) the cost incurred on (A) security and (B) non-security staff, (v) the amount spent on refreshments, (vi) the running and maintenance costs, not covered by (ii), (iv) or (v) above, (vii) the number of bedrooms for judges accommodation, (viii) the number of days that judges were in residence and (ix) the number of days that one or more of the bedrooms for judges accommodation were empty.

Michael Wills: The information requested is contained in the schedules I am placing in the Library, save for the following: the estate was last valued on the 30 June 2000. However data relating to the individual capital values are classified as 'Commercial in Confidence'.
	An analysis of the number of staff and their job titles was carried out as part of the Judges Lodgings Review and figures for 1999–2000 are therefore available; to provide a similar analysis for the other years would incur a disproportionate cost. Collation of the information regarding the number of days when bedrooms were empty would also incur a disproportionate cost.
	An all-encompassing allowance covers a judge's stay at a lodgings; the amount spent on refreshments is not separated out from this allowance.

Conditional Fee Arrangements

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the savings in 2000–01 resulting from the introduction of conditional fee arrangements.

Rosie Winterton: Conditional fee arrangements were introduced in 1995 and are now widely used in personal injury cases. Because of the availability of conditional fees, personal injury and some other areas of law were taken out of the scope of civil legal aid in April 2000 when the funding code for the community legal service fund was introduced.
	We estimate that net the direct savings to legal aid in 2000–01 from taking most personal injury cases out of scope were £32 million. This is based on a comparison with the previous year. It is not possible to quantify separately savings in 2000–01 resulting from the use of conditional fee arrangements in other types of cases which were taken out of the scope.
	The figure of £32 million understates savings to legal aid from the introduction of conditional fees. Expenditure on personal injury cases fell substantially in the years before 2000–01 following the introduction of conditional fees, but our records do not enable us to cost this accurately.

Mental Capacity Legislation

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will publish in draft her proposed legislation on mental capacity.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to reforming mental incapacity law when parliamentary time allows. If practicable, draft legislation will be published in advance of the Bill's introduction before Parliament.

Crown Leaseholders

Desmond Turner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what effect the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will have on the rights of Crown leaseholders (a) to enfranchise and (b) to acquire (i) a new and (ii) an extended lease.

Michael Wills: Following a statement made on 2 November 1992 by Sir George Young, the Crown authorities gave an undertaking that the Crown would, as landlord and subject to specified conditions, agree to the enfranchisement or extension of residential long leases under the same qualifications and terms which applied by virtue of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 to lessees who hold from other landlords.
	It was announced on 3 April 2001, Official Report, columns 175–76W, that the Crown authorities had confirmed that they would apply the undertaking to the provisions of the 1967 Act and the 1993 Act as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill which was then before Parliament. As was announced by my noble and learned Friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton during the Third Reading of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, which is before this Parliament, on 19 November 2001, Official Report, House of Lords, column 927, the Crown authorities have now confirmed that this also applies to those Acts as amended by the current Bill. This undertaking accordingly supersedes the one given on 3 April 2001.
	The full terms of the agreement made by the Crown are as follows:
	(1) the Crown as landlord will, subject to the conditions described below, agree to the enfranchisement or extension of residential long leases or the grant of new residential long leases, under the same qualifications and terms which will apply by virtue of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 to lessees who hold from other landlords;
	(2) enfranchisement will be refused where property stands on land which is held inalienably;
	(3) enfranchisement will also be refused where certain circumstances, which only apply to the Crown, obtain. These are:
	(i) where there are particular security considerations (on the advice of the Royal and Diplomatic Protection Group of the Metropolitan police or other security agencies);
	(ii) where properties are in, or intimately connected with, the curtilage of historic Royal Parks and Palaces;
	(iii) where properties, or the areas in which they are situated, have a long historic or particular association with the Crown.
	(4) the areas referred to in paragraph (3)(iii) include the Off Islands within the Isles of Scilly (St. Agnes, Bryher, St. Martins and Tresco), the Garrison on St. Mary's, the village of Newton St. Loe and parts of central Dartmoor. The properties referred to in that paragraph include Old Land Revenue and reverter properties and grace and favour properties.
	(5) where enfranchisement is refused on the grounds set out in paragraphs (2) and (3), but the tenant would otherwise qualify for enfranchisement, lease extension or the grant of a new lease by analogy with the statutes, the Crown will be prepared to negotiate new leases.
	(6) the Crown will follow the valuation bases set out in the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
	(7) the Crown will agree to be bound by arbitration where there is dispute over valuation or other terms, except in cases under paragraphs (2) and (3). The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal will be empowered to act as the arbitration body, and will hear such disputes on voluntary reference.
	(8) the Crown will be entitled to apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal for approval of a scheme of estate management in the same way as other landlords.

Electronic Conveyancing

Geraint Davies: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will publish the analysis of the responses to the consultation paper, "Electronic Conveyancing: A Draft Order Under Section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000".

Michael Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department has today published an analysis of the responses under the title "Electronic Conveyancing: Analysis of the responses to the consultation paper on a draft order under section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000" (CP(R): 05/2001). I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many, and what proportion of letters received by the Department from right hon. and hon. Members between 20 June and 20 July were replied to in (a) under 15, (b) under 20, (c) under 30, (d) under 40 and (e) over 40 working days.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the volume of correspondence from Members of Parliament received by ministerial agency chief executives, and Departments and agencies and performance in handling them is published annually by the Cabinet Office. The most recent report, covering 2000, was announced by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 April 2001, Official Report, column 325W. Between 20 June and 20 July 2001, the volume of correspondence and percentage of replies within each of the specified timescales was, as follows:
	Total number of correspondence: 102
	Replied to in under 15 days: 41 (40 per cent.)
	Replied to in under 20 days: 31 (30 per cent.)
	Replied to in under 30 days: 13 (13 per cent.)
	Replied to in under 40 days: 12 (12 per cent.)
	Replied to in over 40 days: 5 (5 per cent.)

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Portland Cement

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the location of British Portland cement manufacturing plants accredited to the EU eco-management and audit scheme.

Michael Meacher: The UK Portland cement manufacturing plants registered under the EU eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) are: the site of Rugby Cement at Barton on Humber, North Lincolnshire; and sites of Blue Circle Cement UK at Aberthawe, South Glamorgan; Barnstone, Nottinghamshire; Cauldon, Staffordshire; Cookstown, County Tyrone; Dunbar, East Lothian, Hope, Derbyshire; Northfleet, Kent; Weardale, County Durham; and Westbury, Wiltshire.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the increase in the departmental expenditure limit from 2001–02 to 2002–03 will be accounted for by wage costs.

Elliot Morley: The level of wage costs within the Department's budget this year and in future years will be dependent upon negotiations. Departmental reports published next spring will give full retrospective costs.

Industrial Action

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 30 November 2001, Official Report, column 1172W, on industrial action, if she will list the measures her Department will use to ensure that all payments are made within the 16 November to 31 January window.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 December 2001
	The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is currently taking a range of measures to ensure that delays on the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) are kept to the minimum, including:
	Encouraging overtime working
	Redeploying all RPA staff with relevant experience on to the AAPS
	Back filling staff redeployed with casual/agency staff
	Increasing the number of staff authorising claims
	Using validation reports to determine which claims can best be handled by less experienced staff so that better use is made of those with more experience
	Switching staff periodically from casework to payment authorisation
	Deploying staff returning from FMD duties.

Institute of Animal Health

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to recover the public money committed to the Institute of Animal Health study into sheep TSEs.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The Permanent Secretary for DEFRA is currently considering this issue, in his capacity as the Departmental Accounting Officer.

Foot and Mouth

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance was issued to valuers with regard to the calculation of slaughter premium when valuing cattle for slaughter during the foot and mouth outbreak; and what change has been made to that guidance.

Elliot Morley: The valuation of animals to be compulsorily slaughtered for animal disease control purposes (eg TB and brucellosis) is an established practice, carried out on DEFRA's behalf by independent valuers. The valuation process should take into account any relevant factors which would have a bearing on the real market value of an animal which is due to be slaughtered. Eligibility for slaughter premium can be taken into account if, in the opinion of the valuer, this eligibility would have an impact on market value.
	The system for valuing animals for foot and mouth disease was no different from established practice until the option of standard values was introduced on 22 March 2001. Standard values include an element in respect of slaughter premium where relevant. However, in the light of a number of queries on valuations from farmers and industry organisations, it was decided to issue central guidance to valuers which confirmed the Department's position. This was issued on 11 September, as follows:
	"The Department has long considered "the value" to mean the price an animal might reasonably have been expected to achieve on that day from a purchaser at an open livestock market. Any factors relating to the animal that would be taken into account had the animal been sold on the open market should thus be taken into account when assessing its value for the purposes of compensation. Such factors would include (but not be limited to) the species, its breed, age, weight, pedigree and (if appropriate) its state of pregnancy or lactation. If, for certain animals, the price obtainable at market would normally include some element for Beef Slaughter Premium, that should also be considered. If it is considered that such an element should be included, the age of the animal and the amount relating to the premium must be listed next to the animal on the valuation sheet."

Foot and Mouth

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms included in the foot and mouth cull but not recognised as infected premises have had laboratory tests conducted for the presence of foot and mouth; and what proportion of these recorded positive results.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 November 2001
	[pursuant to the reply, 6 November 2001, c. 145–46W]: The original reply was incorrect, and should have been as follows.
	A total of 248 premises currently classified as Slaughter on Suspicion (SOS) and 396 premises currently classified as Dangerous Contacts (DC) had laboratory tests conducted for the presence of foot and mouth disease. Of these, one DC premises returned a positive result.
	Notes:
	Details of positive DC
	This premises was sampled as part of the 3 km cull in Cumbria. Sampling policy for this cull was to sample as many sheep as possible within the constraints of laboratory facilities. Sheep were blood sampled as they were slaughtered. If a sample tested positive all other animals on the premises were culled.
	Dangerous Contact (DC) premises classified from 3 km culls only converted to IPs when results from a further stage of laboratory tests called probang returned positive, indicating the presence of live virus.
	For this one DC, initial laboratory results came back positive for the presence of antibodies, which indicated exposure to disease, thus its status was recorded as that of a DC. This premises did not have samples submitted for probang testing as all the animals on the premises had already been slaughtered and therefore the tissue samples required for probang could not be taken.
	The premises was therefore not converted to IP status because only one of the 32 blood samples, taken initially, returned a positive result. This is insufficient for a change in premises classification.
	Source:
	DEFRA Disease Control System database as at 17:30 4 December 2001. Figures subject to change as more data become available.

Foot and Mouth

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will instruct her Department's offices in Leeds to involve (a) local practising veterinarians and (b) other organisations with local knowledge to help eradicate foot and mouth disease.

Elliot Morley: The Leeds Disease Control Centre (DCC) has, from the onset of foot and mouth disease, involved and consulted with local veterinarians and other stakeholder organisations in an effort to promote an integrated approach to eradicating the disease. The Leeds DCC appointed a highly experienced local veterinarian—from the Thirsk area—as Liaison Officer for the Local Veterinary Inspectors, three local farmers as National Farmers Union Liaison Officers, an industrial Liaison Officer and local authority personnel to provide additional links with local communities. Regular meetings and consultation with local stakeholders have provided opportunities for the exchange of information and expertise.

Foot and Mouth

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the lines of communication between her Department and the farming community in Thirsk during the foot and mouth outbreak.

Elliot Morley: The Leeds Disease Control Centre has endeavoured to maintain good relations with the Thirsk farming community, both directly and through the National Farmers Union and other organisations, since the initial outbreak in the Thirsk area on 5 July. The importance of the strict biosecurity enforcement measures in the Thirsk 'Restricted Infected Area' (RIA), introduced on 30 July, which were designed to halt the spread of the disease made the need for good communications particularly important. The improvement in the biosecurity arrangements of farmers and others while the RIA was in place, as measured by the reduction in infringements of the biosecurity requirements, suggests that key messages were communicated effectively.

Fishing Industry

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the negotiating position of the UK delegation to the December EC Fisheries Council will be determined.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The position of the UK delegation to the December Fisheries Council is determined by taking account of the scientific advice from ICES and in consultation with the industry as well as my ministerial colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Fishing Industry

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the relative importance of the fishing industry to (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The fishing industry is important to all parts of the UK.

Fishing Industry

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will lead the UK delegation to the EC Fisheries Council in December.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 December 2001
	I will lead the UK delegation to the Fisheries Council in December.

Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 18 July from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire concerning dormant quarries in the Peak District National Park.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 26 November 2001
	The hon. Member's letter of 18 July has been transferred to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for response.

Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she will reply to the letter of 8 October from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire on the export of sheep and sheep meat to continental Europe;
	(2)  when she will reply to the letter of 8 October from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire on the export of sheep and sheep meat to continental Europe.

Elliot Morley: I replied to the letter from the hon. Member on 6 December 2001.

Correspondence

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that outstanding correspondence with her Department will receive a reply by 19 December.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to all Members of Parliament on 14 November explaining the scale of the current problems faced by the Correspondence Section and setting out the mechanisms put in place to overcome these problems. However we shall certainly endeavour to respond to all the hon. Member's current outstanding correspondence by 19 December.

Rural White Paper

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost is of each research project to determine measures for the headline indicators as set out in the Rural White Paper is.

Alun Michael: holding answer 30 November 2001
	A number of research projects contribute to determining measures for the headline indicators as set out in the Rural White Paper. A consolidated list is being developed and will be placed in the Library. I will write to the hon. Member when it is available.

Rural White Paper

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned concerning (a) the Rural White Paper indicator measures and (b) other indicator measures for her Department; and when this research will be made available.

Alun Michael: holding answer 30 November 2001
	A number of research projects have been commissioned on indicator measures following publication of "A Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for Sustainable Development in the United Kingdom", "Towards Sustainable Agriculture—A Pilot Set of Indicators" and the Rural White Paper. A consolidated list is being developed and will be placed in the Library. I will write to the hon. Member when it is available.

Argentinean Meat

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what imports of Argentinean meat have entered the UK food chain in the last 12 months; if the meat is from vaccinated sources; and if it is organically produced.

Elliot Morley: The table at Annexe A shows the amount of meat of foot and mouth disease susceptible species imported into the UK during the last 12 months for which statistics are available. There is no guarantee that all this meat entered the UK food chain as some meat may be re-exported.
	The importation into the UK of fresh meat derived from foot and mouth disease susceptible animals originating in Argentina is currently prohibited. Prior to the prohibition, meat from vaccinated animals could be imported from Argentina, but had to be deboned and fully matured so as to remove any risk of the live foot and mouth disease virus being present.
	According to an estimate in the Soil Association Organic Food and Farming report 2001 some 45 per cent. of organic meat sold in the UK is imported. It is therefore possible that some meat from organic production has been imported from Argentina. Customs import figures are not available for organic meat from Argentina because organic products are not distinguishable from conventional products in the data collected by Customs.
	
		Annexe A: UK imports of meat and meat products from Argentina (October 2000 to September 2001) -- Tonnes
		
			 Type/product October to December 2000 January to September 2001 October 2000 to September 2001 (total) 
		
		
			  Beef/beef product 
			 Bovine carcase meat 287 1,022 1,308 
			 Bovine meat and offal preparations 1,609 3,392 5,001 
			 Bovine offal 157 154 311 
			  
			 Beef/beef product total 2,053 4,568 6,620 
			 
			 Sheepmeat
			 Lamb 108 98 206 
			 Mutton — 9 9 
			 Sheep and Goat edible offal, frozen — 34 34 
			  
			 Sheepmeat total 108 141 248

Livestock Markets

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the conditions which need to be fulfilled to allow the reopening of livestock markets.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 4 December 2001
	Some livestock markets have re-opened in Scotland reflecting the lower number of FMD cases there. A decision to re-open livestock markets in England and Wales will be made in the light of scientific and veterinary advice on progress with the eradication of foot and mouth disease. It is not possible to give a precise date but it is expected to be in the early part of 2002, provided there are no further outbreaks.
	The Department has held a number of meetings with representatives of the Livestock Auctioneers Association to discuss the conditions required for the re-opening of markets, particularly as regards biodiversity. A number of ideas were discussed and these are now being reviewed by my Department. We will continue to consult fully with the LAA on this very important matter and hope to announce the outcome before Christmas.

Sugar Beet Industry

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to promote the viability of the British sugar beet industry.

Elliot Morley: Support for the sugar beet industry is regulated under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). A revised Sugar Regime under the CAP was agreed at the May 2001 Agriculture Council and runs for five years until 1 July 2006, with a review in the early part of 2003. We continue to believe that further substantive reform is needed to take account of trade liberalisation resulting from the "Everything But Arms" agreement and to put the industry on a more sustainable basis for the future.

National Forest Company

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the financial management and policy review of the National Forest Company.

Elliot Morley: We hope to be in a position to do so in the next few months.

Fluvial Trent Strategy

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the Fluvial Trent Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency will be developing a strategy for the fluvial Trent over the next 18 months. I understand that the agency are already in discussions with consultants about preparing the strategy and plan to confirm their appointment later this month. The completed strategy will inform the agency's plans for flood management between Stoke-on-Trent and Newark.

Administration Costs

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of her Department's budget in 2001–02 is spent on administration costs; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Administration costs currently make up 19 per cent. of the Department's expenditure limit for 2001–02.

Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she will take to compensate farmers whose pigs have been infected by Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome.

Elliot Morley: We have no plans to compensate farmers for loss of pigs infected by Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PWMS) or Porcine Dermatitis Nephropathy Syndrome (PDNS). The disease is not notifiable. I met representatives of the pig industry in October to discuss proposals for control measures and research. The Department is taking the following action:
	Extensive collaboration and information exchange with other organisations both within the United Kingdom and with other countries;
	Raising awareness about these diseases and providing technical assistance to private veterinary surgeons in diagnosing and investigating disease incidents;
	Publication of results of three telephone surveys to assess the severity and extent of the diseases. A fourth survey is planned for later this year;
	Publication of the results of a case control study to identify risk factors in the control of the diseases;
	Research to identify and characterise agents involved. Wider international research collaboration is being pursued.

Illegal Meat Imports

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has taken to tighten security at (a) airports and (b) sea ports to ensure that illegal meat is not smuggled into the UK.

Elliot Morley: Checks on meat imported at airports and sea ports is the responsibility of the local authority in which the port or sea port is situated. DEFRA officials are co-ordinating a number of initiatives, involving interested Government Departments and local authority enforcement bodies, aimed at ensuring that rules for importing animal products are enforced effectively and efficiently. We have taken action to improve publicity to travellers about import rules, to improve the collection and analysis of information about illegal imports and to use that information to better target enforcement activity. We are keeping these measures under constant review and we are looking at a wide range of other options for improvements, including, for example, the use of sniffer dogs, X-ray machines, on-the-spot-fines and changes to administrative structures.

Illegal Meat Imports

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has taken to create a properly funded single regulatory body to apply best international practice at UK sea and airports to protect humans and animals from smuggled contaminated meats.

Elliot Morley: None. No decision has been taken that a single regulatory body is the best way to enforce import controls.

Animal Health Bill

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure (a) that the Animal Health Bill will not impose a regulatory burden on the farming community and (b) that there will be a more rapid response to future outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.

Elliot Morley: (a) The foot and mouth disease provisions of the Animal Health Bill will not impose any additional burden on those farm businesses which are meeting current requirements, as it does not introduce any new obligations. In fact quicker containment and eradication of the disease, for which the powers contained in the Bill would provide, would indirectly benefit all farmers, other sectors of the rural economy and the taxpayer in general.
	Similarly, the scrapie provisions of the Bill would not directly impose additional regulatory burden or costs on the industry. However, if the relevant enabling powers were applied, there would be a minimal increase in the level of regulatory burden and cost associated with compliance. The Bill provides powers to compensate for losses suffered or costs incurred as a result of the exercise of these powers.
	(b) If there were to be a resurgence or future outbreak of foot and mouth disease the measures in the Bill provide powers to contain the disease more effectively and eradicate it more quickly. The Bill will enable us to limit the spread of disease more effectively than has been possible to date, and thereby to protect the farming community in general from further damage.